Caught After Love's Fall
by lifeisveryshortsoami
Summary: In one night, a life can change completely. Sometimes, it can be for the best. Sometimes, it can make you wish you were never born. The third  chapter in the COW and BULL series.
1. Prologue

I know I said I was taking everything off my FF account, but this story has been stuck in my head for so long, I can't think of writing anything else until this is down on paper. That being said, this story will probably be updated quite often since I have so many fresh ideas for it - and because TrinityFlower of Memories tells me this is a story that needs to be told. I think she may be right. Even if it doesn't turn out the way I'm picturing it right now, I haven't been able to get it out of my head for over a year now. I guess it's time to finally give in and write it.

If you remember the promos for this story, it is going to be dealing with a lot of darker topics: Rape, teen pregnancy, abortion, and adoption for example. If you don't feel comfortable reading about topics such as these, then please, don't be afraid to skip over this story. A few of you said in your earlier reviews you wouldn't be reading it. I'm not offended. Please understand that I'm not writing to upset anyone. I've come to a time in my life when I want to go beyond the realm of what Disney Channel would air. For anyone who wants to take the journey with me, I welcome you with open arms. For anyone who doesn't, that's fine, too.

With that being said, if you are going to stick with me and read this, there are going to be chapters when I need advice from you readers. For example, after I stop talking and let you actually read this update, it would be very helpful if you guys could let me know which writing style you like better: Third person point of view (like this prologue is written) or first person between Sonny and Chad like I did with COW and BULL? PLEASE INCLUDE THAT IF YOU LEAVE A REVIEW!

And now, since it's been such a long time since I've updated, I would like to remind you that this story takes place after COW (Crush of the Week) and BULL (Bottled Under Love's Labyrinth). For anyone who would like a little catch-up time: In COW, Tawni and Portlyn tricked Sonny into pretending to fall in love with Chad for a week. It turned out they really wanted Sonny to realize she was in love with Chad. After several chapters of drama, Chad and Sonny finally became boyfriend and girlfriend, celebrating their first year together at the very end by throwing cake in each other's faces. In BULL, everyone travelled to Wisconsin to celebrate Christmas with the Munroe family and Sonny had a scare with TB. Turns out she was healthy and then, the cliff-hanger you all probably recall: Chad Dylan Cooper asked Sonny Munroe to marry him. CALF (Caught After Love's Fall) picks up there.

Just a quick timeline:

The date Sonny and Chad first started dating: Late September, early October, 2009

First year anniversary at the end of COW: Late September, early October, 2010

The holidays spent together during BULL: Thanksgiving/Christmas, 2010

CALF Prologue: Around September, 2011

Assuming Chad and Sonny were 16 in the first season of swac, by September 2011, they are both 18 (Chad's birthday according to the season 1 episode he celebrated it in is on March 8. Sonny revealed in season 2 that hers is on August 20)

Keep their ages in mind if I ever write someone out of character. Right now, they are older than Disney has them and dealing with a lot more hardships, so I might not be able to keep everyone in character every second of every chapter. I'll do my best though, and if I do get too far out of line, let me know, okay?

With that being said, I'll let you read now. Don't forget to answer my question in your review!

* * *

Prologue

Sonny Munroe knew she was dying.

"You're going to be okay, baby," a voice kept whispering over and over again. "Everything's going to be just fine. Hang in there a little bit longer and you'll see!"

But everything wasn't going to be okay. Sonny had no idea where she was or who was kneeling beside her, trying to be the voice of reason. Her brown eyes, usually so full of happiness and laughter that she could spread great emotions around a room just by smiling, were knit shut. Her body shook uncontrollably and sweat lathered on her forehead as though she'd just ran ten miles.

Sonny wasn't concerned about the shaking or the sweat. She barely even realized she was doing either thing. All she cared about was the fire burning in her stomach, the one that made her wish she could put herself out of her misery. Why was she in so much pain? How come no one was making it leave?

"Finally!" A loud screech echoed through the room as the person sitting next to Sonny stood, pushing their chair backwards in the process. "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Munroe," a new voice apologized. "It's 2:30 in the morning. I was sleeping when the nurse called and told me you and your daughter had just arrived at the hospital. I wasn't expecting to see you for another few weeks yet."

"That's what my tax dollars are paying for? For my doctor, who I only hired in the first place because you're supposedly the best in all of Hollywood, can take a nap while my eighteen year old pregnant daughter suffers?"

"There are plenty of other doctors on shift right now who would've been more than happy to help Sonny," the second voice replied, staying calm despite Connie Munroe's rant. "It's my understanding you refused to let anyone in this room until I arrived."

"Apparently I was wrong to do that since you've been in here almost five minutes already and haven't even looked at Sonny!"

_Stop! _Sonny pleaded silently, not daring to say the words aloud. She would have to take a deep breath in order to speak, which would make her pain even worse. _Stop yelling at each other and help me!_

Almost as though the two adults could hear her, the screaming stopped. Sonny heard footsteps approaching her, felt fingers gently press on her stomach in different places. She wanted to tell the hand to stop; it was making the already unbearable pain even worse, the unquenchable fire spark up even more than it had been burning previously. If someone didn't help her soon, the fire would burn her from the inside out.

"So?" Connie Munroe spoke up, breaking the silence. "What's wrong with Sonny? Is she going into labor?"

"I'm not sure," the doctor answered. "If she is going into labor now, she's still in the early stages. How long has she been asleep?"

_I'm not asleep!_ Sonny protested. _I can hear every word you're saying. I'm just afraid of opening my eyes. What if the pain grows worse after I can see what's wrong with me?_

"At least an hour," Connie said, breaking Sonny's theory that the people in the room could hear her thoughts. "I came into her bedroom to check on her before heading to bed myself and I found her like that. I carried her to the car and got here as fast as I could."

"Has she been shaking the entire time she's been out?"

"Shaking, sweating, crying…You name it, she's been doing it." Connie paused for a long moment. "You can figure out what's wrong with her, can't you?"

"Well, I don't think she's in labor quite yet considering the baby isn't due for almost a month. My guess would be that Sonny has some kind of a cold and it feels ten times worse than usual for her because she's pregnant, too." Sonny felt cold fingertips brushing her hair behind her ear. "I'm going to try waking her up. I want to run a few tests on her, just to make sure the baby's still doing good."

_I don't have a cold! _Sonny argued, desiring for the first time in her life to slug her doctor, a man she had come to really like in the past eight months, square in his face. _If it was a cold, I'd be coughing and sneezing, not feeling pain in my stomach. Something's wrong with the baby!_

Sonny heard water running and, a few seconds later, felt a washcloth being placed on her forehead. A hand she knew all too well clutched at her own, followed by another promise from Connie that everything was going to work out. Her stomach continued burning as the oblivious doctor began asking questions.

"Sonny, if you can hear me right now and you can understand what I'm saying, lift one of your fingers."

_No! _Sonny laid still, refusing to move any part of her body. Even Connie taking her hand, which was meant to be a kind gesture, moved Sonny just enough to send a new flame flying. No way was she going to risk it happening again just so she could move a finger.

It would be better if her doctor didn't think she was awake. Maybe if Sonny laid long enough, feigning a coma, the doctor and Connie would realize this was more serious than a stupid cold. Perhaps then they would finally figure out the real problem and they'd find a way to put the fire out.

Instead of asking Sonny to do some other stupid task, two fingers rested on her right eye. Sonny wanted to swat them away, but once again, the pain in her stomach kept her from doing anything. Pulling too hard, the fingers separated her eyelids, leaving Sonny blind as a bright light met her gaze.

"She's awake!" Connie Munroe rejoiced, squeezing her daughter's hand.

Sure enough, not wanting her other eye to be opened so ruefully, Sonny opened it herself, blinking quickly several times in a row. Where was she? Why were all the walls around her painted white? Had someone placed the hospital gown on her or had Sonny done it herself?

Before Sonny could answer any of her questions, a face popped into her line of vision. It was a male with a short brown beard and glasses too large for his small nose. He held a clipboard in his hands.

"Hi," he greeted, smiling broadly. "Can you tell me what your name is?"

_I would if I could speak,_ Sonny thought, opening and closing her mouth. Her tongue felt dry like she hadn't had anything to drink in hours. _Wait…Is it just me, or does my stomach actually feel better?_

The fire, although still burning too much for her liking, was beginning to die the tiniest bit. Maybe Sonny could risk saying a few words…

"S-Sonny," she sputtered, her name coming out slurred. "Sonny Munroe."

The man scribbled something on his clipboard. "And what's my name, Sonny?"

"Dr. Peterson."

For the first time since opening her eyes, Sonny noticed her Mom, who was standing beside the hospital bed. Her eyes were lit up and she couldn't stop bouncing on the balls of her feet. She bent over, wrapping her arms around Sonny's shoulders in a tight embrace.

"You're awake!" she chanted over and over again. "Oh my gosh, you're finally awake!"

"Mom!" I cried out, both hands flying toward my stomach. "Let go of me, please! You're making the pain worse!"

Dr. Peterson looked up from whatever he was writing while Connie straightened back to her full height. They both stared at Sonny like she had just announced she planned on eating nothing but ice cream for the rest of her life.

"You're in pain right now?" Dr. Peterson asked. "Where does it hurt?"

"My stomach."

Without another word, Dr. Peterson nodded his head. He walked toward the door of the room, sending a reassuring smile over his shoulder.

"I'm sure everything's fine, Sonny," he promised. "It's possible the baby has been kicking you a lot, which could've led to severe pain and, in turn, the sweat you've been suffering from. I'll go see if I can find you some medicine to help." He turned his attention to Connie. "May I speak with you for a moment in hall, Mrs. Munroe?"

Glancing at Sonny first, Connie leaned over, kissed the top of her daughter's head, and swore she would return in a few minutes. Sonny nodded her consent, waving as first her Mom then Dr. Peterson left, closing the door behind them. She could hear them talking, but their voices were too muffled to make out anything.

Letting out a long sigh, Sonny looked down at her stomach. She could remember times when she would study her reflection in a mirror and start complaining about how fat she saw herself, no matter how many times Chad reminded her she was the prettiest girl he'd ever seen. She would give anything to have that body back. Now her stomach stuck out as though a beach ball was under her shirt, waiting impatiently for her to take it out and start a game of volleyball.

"We've been through a lot in the past eight months," Sonny said, resting her hand on the place she knew her baby rested, the same spot she'd felt it kick for the first time. "What do you think? Do you want to know the story of how you came to be? This might be my only chance to tell you if I die giving birth to you, after all."

Of course there was no answer.

Sonny didn't like to think about things as morbid as dying, but she'd watched enough movies, read too many articles, about teenagers in the birthing room. Many of them died while they were there, never even getting to see the beautiful baby they'd carried around for the past nine months. Granted, Sonny was older than most of the 15 year olds the stories were about, but if she was going into labor now, three and a half weeks before her due date…

Dr. Peterson, if he knew Sonny's thoughts, would tell her she wasn't in labor yet. Sonny knew the truth. She could feel the baby moving inch by inch, preparing for its journey into the world.

She was in labor whether she wanted to admit it or not.

"Where should I start?" Sonny muttered, knowing deep down she needed something to take her mind off the hospital. "Well, I guess if I'm telling your story, I might as well start at the very beginning, huh?" She chuckled as her memories came flooding back, each begging to be the first one to escape from her lips. "It all started last Christmas Eve, when Chad Dylan Cooper asked me to marry him…"

As the stories came back, Sonny found herself flashbacking to them, remembering them exactly as they'd taken place. The expressions on her friends' faces…the words that were spoken…the actions taken. Every tiny detail leading up to the moment she was now getting ready to face, when she would finally give birth, became as clear to her as though they'd happened yesterday.

It wasn't long before she was lost in her own memories.


	2. Wedding Bells Are Ringing

Thank you to the six of you who reviewed! You guys are awesome! Since two of you voted to have CALF told in first person point of view, I have decided to stick with that. Eventually, I might go back and re-write the Prologue so it isn't in third person, too...But I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.

To anyone who read the Prologue and didn't review...SHAME ON YOU! Just kidding. But please do review if you're reading this so I don't feel lonely. And so I know whether or not you're enjoying the story so far. Even a simple, "You suck, stop writing stories!" would be better than nothing. At least I would know you were reading!

So, a few reminders before you begin: This chapter starts off exactly where BULL ended, with Chad, Sonny (sitting in the back row), Nico, Grady, Zora, Tawni, and Portlyn at the movies on Christmas Eve. Chad has just asked Sonny to marry him. So...That should be all the catch-up you need. If not, let me know when you review and I'll be sure to PM anyone who gets confused!

Each chapter of CALF will start with a date before you begin your reading (for example, this chapter states it's December 24). That is so you, as a reader, will not have to read through every single day of a nine month pregnancy and I, as the writer, will not have to write out...How many chapters would that be? No, each chapter will cover a bigger event that's revelent to the story instead of a day-by-day guide. So, in other words, if there are any big scenes you guys would like to see included, REVIEW!

First part is Chad's point of view, the pretty line means we're switching to Sonny, when you see another pretty line you're back to Chad...You guys know the drill.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! Not even a cow. Although I have enough money for one since they sell them by the pound. All I need is to build a barn to keep my cow in! Any of you good at building?

* * *

Chapter One

Wedding Bells Are Ringing

_December 24_

Well, I said it. I, Chad Dylan Cooper, greatest actor of my generation, star of the number one tween drama Mackenzie Falls, Hollywood's bad boy, asked someone to marry me. Not just someone - a _girl_ someone. And not just any girl someone either: a girl someone called Allison 'Sonny' Munroe.

That's right. For the first time ever, I put my life on the line by asking for a girlfriend's hand in marriage.

So far, all that girlfriend could do was stare at the engagement ring, flabbergasted.

'Smooth, Chad,' I thought, wishing Nico and Grady had successfully built their time machine so I could rewind and refrain from asking the question. 'You choose now to pop the question, while sitting in a movie theater surrounded by the Randoms and Portlyn. Why didn't you wait until you and Sonny were alone? Nobody would know if she turns you down that way.'

'Turns you down?' another voice scoffed. 'What girl in her right mind would turn down the chance to marry Chad Dylan Cooper?'

'But Sonny isn't like other girls!' the first voice argued. 'She might decline! How long has she taken to answer? Five minutes? Two years? Maybe she's making some kind of list about why she should or shouldn't become my wife!'

'Oh yeah? What flaws do you think she could find? You're perfect!'

'Maybe she wants to say no because she doesn't think she's good enough to be with the great Chad Dylan Cooper. Or she could be remembering when I kissed Lucy! What if she hasn't forgiven me yet? I mean, I know she says she has, but if she's lying and she really hasn't-,'

'Calm down, man. If Sonny says no, you can find another girl.'

'But I don't want anyone else. I only want Sonny.'

Shaking my head furiously, I ordered both voices to shut up before giving me a headache. Who cared what my thoughts were anyway? It was too late to stop the words from slipping through my lips. The only thing left to do was wait for Sonny's answer.

"Sonny?" I asked softly, wondering if she had somehow fainted with her eyes open. "If you can hear me, could you respond? Please? It would be kind of nice to have an answer before I pass out."

My voice broke through whatever trance Sonny was stuck in. She blinked rapidly, closed her agape mouth-

-And snapped shut the box in my hands.

"Look, Chad," she started, sending me a nervous smile. "I really appreciate your offer, but…I just don't think now is the best time to get engaged."

"Is it because of Lucy?" I demanded, oblivious to what I was saying. My lips were moving, but my brain could only repeat one phrase: Sonny said no. "I haven't said one word to her since the night we kiss - since that night we all went square-dancing. If you're worried about something like that happening again, I swear it won't!"

"It's not because of Lucy."

"It's not?"

Sonny's movie, the one she had made especially for me as a Christmas present, was over. Credits rolled across the screen and the lights flickered on. Any moment, everyone would stand up to leave and see Sonny and I sitting in the back row, a closed jewelry box still waiting in my hands. They would know something was up.

Thinking along the same lines as me, Sonny began climbing to her feet. I reached out quickly, wrapping my fingers around her wrist. She fell back into her seat, nearly losing her balance.

"Hold on," I said slowly. "If it's not because of Lucy, then why won't you marry me?"

"For one thing, we're only seventeen. My parents would kill me if I came home tonight with a fiancé," she replied, smacking my arm playfully. When I didn't return her smirk, she sighed. "We're too young. We have our entire lives ahead of us, Chad. If you never fall in love with another girl and it turns out we're meant to be, then it won't make any difference if we wait another five years. There's no reason to rush into things."

Portlyn and Tawni appeared at Sonny's side before I had a chance to say anything else. Sonny jumped up, leaving the theater with her two best friends in tow, talking to them casually as though nothing extraordinary had just happened. As though she hadn't just become the first girl to turn down a marriage proposal from Chad Dylan Cooper. As though she had no idea my heart was breaking into a million pieces.

"What did you think of the movie?" Grady asked, slipping into Sonny's vacant seat.

"Our Sonny really has a gift for giving gifts, doesn't she?" Nico laughed, sitting on my other side.

_Our Sonny_. I hated referring to her like that! It made it sound like Nico and Grady had the same claim on her I did, that the three of us took turns holding her hand, taking her out for dinner, and even kissing her in private places all over Condor Studios. The last thing I wanted was to share Sonny with anyone. I wanted her to be _MY Sonny_!

'She doesn't want to be your Sonny,' a voice in the back of my mind reminded me.

It spoke up too late. Pushing Nico aside, my feet carried me into the main lobby. There must have been a midnight movie premiering (which was strange considering it was Christmas Eve, but whatever) because the room was packed. People lined up to buy tickets, others waited for popcorn, and still others sat outside whatever theater they would be watching their movie in, playing cards to help pass the time. I even noticed a camera crew trying to complete a segment without allowing fame-crazed teens to jump into the shot.

I scanned the crowd, trying to find the brunette I needed to speak with. She, Portlyn, and Tawni seemed to have melted into the throng.

"Is that…"

"It can't be."

"I think it is!"

"Hey, everyone! It's Chad Dylan Cooper!"

'Great,' I thought grudgingly, knowing things were about to turn ugly. 'I've been in Wisconsin since Thanksgiving and the fans pick tonight to recognize me!'

As girls ran up from every direction, each shoving a pad of paper or camera in my face, I finally spotted Sonny. She rolled her eyes when she met my gaze, nodding for me to join her when I had a chance to escape the mob.

"I'm not really Chad Dylan Cooper!" I cried, wondering if any of the girls around me were stupid enough to fall for my lie.

"Yes, you are!" one of them, a redhead with a face full of pimples, disagreed.

"You have to be the real Chad!" This time, it was someone with a vacant glaze in her eyes. "You both have blonde hair!"

Nico and Grady picked that moment to appear, pausing when they saw the packed lobby. Grabbing the front of Grady's shirt, I dragged him through the girls until he stood in the center.

"Look, he has blonde hair, too!" I exclaimed, ruffling Grady's locks. "He's the real Chad Dylan Cooper!"

"Oh my gosh…We found the wrong Chad!" Vacant-glaze girl said, shoving her pen into Grady's hand. "Can I have your autograph, Chad?"

"You ladies seem to be mistaken," Grady tried explaining. "You see, I'm Grady Mitchell, not Chad Dylan-,"

"I'll pay you ten dollars to pose in a picture with me!" a blonde shouted.

"Make it twenty and you have a deal!"

While 'Chad' took care of the girls, I ducked down to my hands and knees. Crawling in the direction I'd seen Sonny (was that gum touching my flawless skin?), I stayed close to the ground until I was far from the fan girls. I didn't want them bothering me right now. I had to find Sonny before sense talked me out of what I was about to do.

"Are you looking for something?" a voice I recognized said. "Perhaps your dignity?"

Tawni Hart stood less than two feet from me, smiling like she'd never seen a teenage boy crawling around a packed movie theater before. Sonny and Portlyn gathered at my sides, each of them taking an arm in order to help me to my feet.

"Are you crazy?" Portlyn demanded. "Grady isn't used to fighting off fans! You can't leave him alone like that!"

As soon as I was standing on two feet again, I pulled my arm away from Portlyn, focusing all my attention on Sonny. I took her hands in mine and stared into her eyes - those big beautiful brown eyes.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, concern flooding her voice. "You look a little pale, Chad. Are you feeling alright?"

Something still wasn't right. I could ask Sonny to marry me again, but it would be the same as my first time, only Tawni and Portlyn would hear her refusal. What if more people listened in than Sonny's best friends? Would she be more likely to say yes?

"Don't move," I ordered, dropping Sonny's hands as a new idea hit me.

"Where are you going?"

Without giving Sonny another glance, I headed to the front counter where the busy employees were handing out tickets. The line in front of me protested when I walked past them - fell silent in shock when I jumped over the counter - then started speaking in a huge jumble as I stole the microphone from one employee's fingers.

"May I have your attention?"

My voice boomed through the room, causing a silence to follow my request. Almost every conversation taking place at that moment died away. The girls begging for Grady's attention looked around, trying to figure out where the new voice came from. Nico and Grady eyed me, their confusion written plain as day on their faces. The employees exchanged looks, unsure if they should allow me to continue my speech or take their microphone back.

Sonny hid her face in her hands, her blush deepening every second.

"You might know me as Mackenzie on Mackenzie Falls, the number one tween drama-,"

"YOU'RE Chad Dylan Cooper?" a voice cut through mine. "Then who is this?"

"His name isn't important," I said, waving off the question while a crowd of angry girls turned their glares on Grady. "What is important is that you all the hear what I'm about to ask Sonny Munroe. Sonny, could you come over here?"

People started looking in every direction, trying to figure out where Sonny was. I stood on the counter, keeping the microphone firmly planted in my hand. I smiled when I found Sonny among the sea, making her way toward me, keeping her head down the entire time.

When she was close enough, I reached out my hand. Sonny accepted it, although she seemed surprised when I pulled her onto the counter, too. She waved to the hundreds of eyes watching her, muttering a small, "I'm so sorry about this!" to the employees. To me, all she did was glare.

"For those of you who live in a cave and know nothing about Hollywood," I began, making sure the microphone caught every word, "Sonny and I have been dating for over a year now. It's been the best year of my life. That's why, with all of you as my witnesses, I would like to ask my girlfriend a very important question."

Everything felt easier this time than it had in the theater. I was back in the spotlight - I had a microphone, every eye in the building was watching, and the camera had even moved in order to get a better angle of the unfolding scene. Sonny was more nervous, but I felt like I was back at the studio, filming an episode of Mackenzie Falls.

Only in this episode, the outcome could change my life forever.

Sonny had to know what I was going to do before I got down on one knee. Instead of jumping off the counter (which I thought she might do, considering she basically ordered me not to try asking her again until we were older), she shook her head, keeping her eyes locked on mine. Gently, I took her right hand, pulling the ring out again with my free fingers.

If it was possible, the lobby fell even quieter. Nico and Grady dropped their jaws. Tawni and Portlyn covered their mouths. Sonny used the hand I wasn't holding to wipe tears from her eyes.

"I love you, Sonny Munroe," I stated the obvious. "Will you marry me?"

A loud, "Aww!" erupted throughout the room. Sonny didn't answer right away. She cried some more, giggled nervously, and shuffled her feet. "I - I don't know what to say…"

"Oh, just say yes already!"

Zora's head popped out of the nearest vent, taking everyone by surprise. Chuckling, Sonny took the advice from her youngest cast member.

"You're a pain, Chad," she said, nodding her head, "But at least you're my pain."

Applause sounded as I slipped the ring onto Sonny's hand. She forced me to my feet as soon as I was done, bringing her lips to meet mine. I wrapped my arms around her enthusiastically, never wanting to let her go.

Unfortunately, Tawni forced herself between Sonny and me, posing for the camera by slipping an arm around both of our shoulders.

"Hello, America!" she cooed, smiling brightly. "This is me, Tawni Hart, here to support my best friend getting engaged!"

Fear flickered across Sonny's face as she rounded on her cast mate. "Wait, this whole thing is going to be on television?"

"Of course!" Tawni scoffed. "Why else would I be posing with you and Chad?"

Watching as Sonny began tapping her foot impatiently, stubbornly keeping her eyes off the camera crew, I leaned behind Tawni's back until my lips lingered above her ear.

"What's wrong, m'lady?" I whispered. "You should be the happiest girl in the world right now. You're marrying Chad Dylan Cooper!"

"When were you planning on telling our parents?"

I stared at her in surprise. We were getting married and the first thing she thought about was telling our parents the news?

"I don't know," I finally replied. "It's not like we're having the wedding tonight!"

"No, but our parents will know about it after watching the morning news!" Sonny hissed angrily.

My stomach felt like throwing up.

* * *

Mom and dad refused to talk to me on Christmas. I woke up before them and went straight to the kitchen, cooking the biggest breakfast I knew how to fix, which included pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon, omelets, eggnog, and even home-made doughnuts, complete with red and green frosting. At first, they were surprised by the meal-

-But then they headed into the living room, wanting to watch the Christmas Day parade we watched together every year. Too bad a news station came on instead. Mom and dad's jaws dropped once they saw Chad and I jumping onto the counter at the movie theater.

"_I love you, Sonny Munroe," Chad declared. "Will you marry me?"_

"_You're a pain, Chad," I said, nodding my head, "But at least you're my pain."_

Two shocked faces turned in my direction. Not knowing what else to do, I threw my arms into the air. "Surprise!"

Just as I thought would happen, the news that their only daughter was engaged didn't go over good with my parents. I got the silent treatment Christmas day, the following day, and every day after that one. I had let them down. I went behind their backs and accepted Chad's offer without asking their opinion first. Maybe most people could get engaged without their parents becoming furious, but I doubted many of them were only seventeen at the time.

"Don't worry about it," Chad assured me whenever I complained. "Your mom is coming back to Hollywood with you. She'll have to talk eventually!"

"What about my dad? I'm not going to see him again for awhile after we go back. What if he hasn't forgiven me by the time I leave?"

"You honestly think your dad is going to last the rest of his life without saying a word to you?"

Grandma Munroe was the only family member proud of me. She kept thumping me on the back and advising me to ignore mom and dad until they had a chance to accept the news.

"So you don't think I made a mistake by saying yes?" I asked her, making sure Chad couldn't overhear me.

"I don't think it was a mistake at all, Allison," she replied. "Anyone with eyes can see how much you and Chad love each other. You need to listen to your heart, not your parents."

It helped a little bit that my friends weren't totally opposed to the idea. I made it clear to them the wedding wouldn't take place for a long, long time ("At least three months," Chad told them proudly. "I'll legally be allowed to marry her on March 8!"). Portlyn and Tawni couldn't stop exclaiming over how pretty my ring was ("I still have no idea how you got someone like Chad!" Tawni pouted, causing Portlyn and I to stare at her in wonder. "I thought you hated Chad?" I asked. "I do!" Tawni agreed quickly. "But you get to marry someone rich and famous while I'm stuck without any boyfriend at all!"). Nico, Grady, and Zora spent their time laughing whenever they saw me, humming 'Here Comes the Bride' while cracking multiple wedding jokes. Even their teasing was better than the silent treatment from my own parents.

On New Year's Eve, the last night everyone would spend in Wisconsin, I felt too depressed to join in with the celebrations. Nico, Grady, Tawni, Zora, and Portlyn hung out in my kitchen with Grandma Munroe, having a competition to see who could make the best tasting dessert before midnight. Chad was with them at first, but his voice left after an hour or so. I had no idea where he disappeared to and I didn't go looking for him. I was busy slumping on the couch, watching Chad's proposal over and over again.

"Ugh," I sighed after the hundredth time of rewinding. "WHY did I say yes in the first place?"

"I've been asking myself the same question since last week."

Mom walked into the room, sitting down beside me. She made sure to leave a gap between us - a whole other person could have fit in the space. Her eyes focused on the screen, refusing to look at me.

"Ohh, turn the volume up!" she ordered after a short silence. "This is my favorite part!"

"You have a favorite part?" I asked slowly.

"Don't you?" mom shot back. "I just love it when you say yes without even thinking about what your parents would say if they had any idea this was happening!"

So, I wasn't forgiven. Mom was only talking to me so she could rub it in my face or teach me a lesson or something stupid like that.

"I am sorry…You know that, don't you?"

My voice came out so small, I had no idea if mom could hear me. She sighed deeply, burying her head in her palm, counting backwards from ten in a whisper. I knew what that meant; she did the same thing every time she got too mad and tried to stop herself from exploding.

This time, it didn't work.

"What were you thinking, Sonny?" she demanded, finally allowing her eyes to meet mine. "You've only known Chad for two years - you've only been a couple for one of them! Couldn't you at least have told your father and I what was going on before agreeing to marry him?"

"I wanted to tell you, mom! That's why I said no the first time he asked!"

"Oh, that's just great, Sonny!" If it was possible, mom looked even more upset. "This wasn't the first time Chad asked you to marry him, but you couldn't have come to me between the two offers, could you?"

"They were both on the same night!" I felt tears threatening to slip down my cheeks. I shook my head, hoping that would make them leave me alone. "Chad asked me to marry him when I was the only one who could hear him, I said no, and then he decided to try again with an audience."

"Wait…If you told him no the first time, why did you say yes when he asked again?"

"I don't know! Everyone was watching, the camera was rolling, Zora thought I should say yes…I cracked under the pressure!"

Closing the distance between us, mom wrapped her arms around me, drawing me closer to her. My head rested on her shoulder. She stroked my hair, brushing it away from my tear-stained face, whispering, "Shh, it's ok," all the while. I felt like a baby, sitting there in my living room sobbing to mom, but at the same time, it was wonderful to feel her touch again. I'd missed my parents.

"Sonny, I want you to understand something," mom said once I quieted down. "Your father and I aren't mad at you for saying yes. We're a little disappointed you let us find out about the engagement on the news instead of telling us about it yourself and we wish you told Chad to give you time to think about it instead of jumping right in, but…"

"There's a but?" I interrupted.

"But we want you to be happy," mom went on, smiling down at me. "Just…Please don't let Chad pressure you into anything simply because you're engaged. That doesn't mean you have to move in together yet-,"

"That never crossed my mind."

"Nor do you have to have the wedding ceremony anytime before you're ready, not when Chad decides it's time or-,"

"We'll either agree on a date or never have the wedding!"

"And it also doesn't give you permission to start having sex every opportunity you have-,"

"Mom!"

When mom began laughing, I knew everything was good between us. I felt relieved as I climbed to my feet.

"Where's dad?" I asked her. "I want to apologize to him before I leave for Hollywood."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," mom agreed. "But you'll have to wait to talk with him."

"Why would I have to wait?"

"He took Chad into town. I think he wanted to talk to him man-to-man."

Chad. My dad. Alone. Talking man-to-man. Despite having mom speaking to me again, I felt sick.

Chad would be lucky to make it back to Hollywood alive.

* * *

"I hear you're planning on marrying my daughter."

Mr. Munroe was going to murder me. I could see it in his eyes when he approached me as I watched the Randoms and Portlyn concocting the weirdest looking desserts I'd ever seen and now, sitting alone with him in the Munroe's pick-up, there were absolutely no witnesses to keep him from wrapping his huge hands around my neck. Just because he was supposed to keep both hands on the wheel didn't mean he would. Was he strong enough to kill me with only five fingers?

Taking his eyes off the road (violation number one), Mr. Munroe studied me for a long time.

"What's the matter, son?" he asked, his voice deep. "Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?"

'He said ghost!' I panicked, struggling to stop my fingers from opening my door and jumping into the nearest ditch. 'Is he trying to drop hints about what I'll become by the time he's through with me?'

"I'm sorry if my first statement offended you," Mr. Munroe apologized. "I didn't think you'd mind talking about Sonny since you're in love with her and everything." He paused. "You are in love with her, aren't you?"

After having a different girlfriend every week for sixteen years of my life, I didn't have a lot of experience talking to their fathers. Usually, it was date girl, flaunt girl, dump girl. The only time I talked to a 'father' was when Mackenzie asked Chloe's dad for permission to date her - after they had already been dating for several episodes. I thought back to that conversation as I tried to think of something to say that wouldn't anger Mr. Munroe.

On the one hand, I could tell him the truth: I loved Sonny more than I knew my heart was capable of loving. But that could make him mad if he thought I loved Sonny too much. I could tell him I didn't love Sonny at all - which would probably result with him wanting to know why I asked her to marry me.

Either way, I was stuck in a lose-lose situation.

"Well, you see, Mr. Munroe, sir," I started, picking my words carefully. "My feelings toward your daughter are very…um…They're very real."

"I see," Mr. Munroe replied. "I take it they're real enough you felt perfectly fine asking for her hand in marriage before getting my permission first?"

'Why would I go to you first?' I thought, holding back laughter. 'This isn't the sixteenth century! Besides, I'm Chad Dylan Cooper. I do whatever I want whenever I want!'

Out loud, I said, "I was worried you might tell Sonny if I went to you before her. I wanted to make sure she was surprised."

It was a lie, of course. If Mr. Munroe knew I wasn't being honest with him, he hid his doubts behind a, "Hmm." He continued driving in silence.

"Sir?" I said when it became evident Mr. Munroe was done talking. "If you don't mind my asking, where, exactly, are we going?"

"I can't tell you," Mr. Munroe explained. "I want to make sure you'll be surprised."

The pick-up was old and rickety. It bounced going down the street, becoming ten times worse when Mr. Munroe pulled onto a gravel road. I was thrown up with every pothole, hitting my head on the roof more than one time. 'Note to self,' I thought bitterly, a headache already developing. 'Buy Mr. and Mrs. Munroe a new car!'

After what felt like hours, Mr. Munroe killed the pick-up's engine. I glanced out the windshield, expecting to find - well, not really expecting to find anything in particular. Still, I thought there would be more than a huge, grassy field in my line of vision.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Mr. Munroe inquired, leaning back in his seat, folding his hands behind his head.

"Isn't what beautiful?"

"Can't you see it?"

Squinting his eyes, Mr. Munroe got as close to the windshield as possible, pressing his nose against the glass. I watched him nervously, wondering what he was trying to see. Were there ninjas who were going to attack the car? Maybe some kind of wild animal lodged in the field and he planned on feeding me to it as punishment for asking Sonny to marry me.

"It's easier to see from outside the vehicle," Mr. Munroe said, pushing open his door. "Come on, Chad! Don't be shy!"

I followed him out of the pick-up. It was freezing - I still wasn't used to the snow - and I wondered how long I would have to stand there, staring at nothing. With the sun down and nothing but black sky above my head, it was impossible to see anything besides snow, snow, and - dare I say it? - more snow.

Folding my arms across my chest to trap whatever heat I had left, I stumbled when something rammed into my back. Going into my best karate pose, I turned around-

"Holy cow!" were the only two words I could come up with.

A cow stood behind me, staring while chewing on cud. I considered jumping away from the animal, but Mr. Munroe placed a hand on my shoulder, enabling me from moving. A gruff laugh escaped his lips.

"This is the only spot in all of Wisconsin where there are wild cows," he told me. "They roam around freely all year round and, as you can see, they aren't afraid to come close to people. Aren't they cute?"

"Cute?" I repeated incredulously.

"I guess it might make more sense if you knew the whole story," Mr. Munroe sighed. He took a deep breath. "There's a reason Sonny's my only child. Connie and I…We had a very rough time getting pregnant; I'll spare you the details. By the time Sonny was finally born, everything felt so surreal to us. We were finally able to hold our own baby in our arms, kiss her goodnight, give her all the love in the world. It was a dream come true for both of us.

"One night, when Sonny had just learned how to walk, Connie called me into the house. I was worried about her - she never called for me while I was doing work around the farm unless something was wrong. She tried to hold back her tears but they were running down her cheeks before she could manage to tell me the news: Sonny was missing. Connie had left Grandma Munroe in charge of her long enough to take a shower. When she came back to the living room, Grandma Munroe was asleep and the front door was wide open."

My hand built a fist as I waited for Mr. Munroe to go on. I already knew the end of the story. Sonny obviously ended up being found and reuniting with her parents. Thinking about her being lost, out on her own when she was so young, no one there to protect her…

"We called the police and started a search party," Mr. Munroe continued. "We thought she couldn't have gone very far. Connie was only gone for half an hour, if it was even that long. How far could a toddle walk in that amount of time? We searched everywhere around the barn. We looked through every nook and cranny in the house. And although neither of us admitted it, we checked along the street for blood to make sure Sonny hadn't been hit by a car. There was no sign of her anywhere.

"The morning after Sonny disappeared, we received a phone call. A man driving past the very field you and I are standing in now noticed a small girl and wondered if she may be the missing child. Connie and I rushed here as fast as we could. Sure enough, the small girl was our Sonny. She wasn't all too happy to see us though. She said she enjoyed spending time with the cows."

That was my Sonny. The only girl who would leave home and run away to live with a bunch of renegade cows.

"After that, I brought Sonny here every night," Mr. Munroe concluded his story. "Whether it was sunny, raining, or the middle of winter. We came out together and watched the cows for hours until Sonny fell asleep in my arms. It was our special father/daughter time."

"Why are you telling me all of this, Mr. Munroe?" I asked softly.

An arm went around my shoulders, drawing me closer to Mr. Munroe's side.

"I thought it was only fair I had some father/son time here, too."

* * *

I was waiting on the front porch when headlights reflected off the snow, signaling the arrival of dad and Chad. They exited the pick-up together, and, to my amazement, both wore smiles on their faces. Chad lingered behind, pretending to tie his shoe, while dad joined me.

"Dad, I really am sorry about everything-,"

"It's all in the past," he cut me off, giving me a tight hug. "I love you, baby girl."

"I love you, too, daddy," I whispered back.

Glancing at Chad over his shoulder, dad let go of me, heading toward the door. "I'm distract your mom until midnight, but after that, you two are on your own for privacy. Enjoy it while you can. If I know your mother, you're going to have stricter rules once you're back in Hollywood."

He left, exclaiming, "I'm home!" loudly before closing the door behind him. Chad and I were alone.

"So…Was my dad too tough on you?" I asked, bouncing on my heels nervously.

"No," Chad answered, shaking his head. "He wasn't tough at all, actually." He shoved his hands into his pockets, using his shoe to kick at a pile of snow. "What about your mom?"

"She was…okay with it after I explained things a little better. I think she and dad were feeling left out. You know, like I didn't need them anymore to help me make decisions."

Chad nodded like he understood. I wanted to ask him so many questions. Where had dad taken him? What did they talk about? Did he still want to get married after seeing how crazy my parents were? I chocked the questions back, swallowing them instead of speaking them. Now wasn't the right time.

"I know your parents mean a lot to you," Chad spoke, keeping his gaze on the snow. "This has been a rough week for you with them giving you the silent treatment. If you want to, we could call off the engagement…"

"Chad." I waited for him to look up, smirking at him once he did. "I don't want to call off the engagement. I love my mom and dad, and thankfully they support us, but even if they didn't…" I shrugged, unsure how to finish my thought.

"You still want to marry me?" Chad asked, his voice small and so…un-Chad like!

"I still want to marry you," I confirmed.

"Good…because I still want to marry you, too."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Back to his old self, confident and sure of everything, Chad joined me on the porch. We sat down side by side on the top stair, my head resting on his shoulder as his arm snaked its way around my waist. Even with snow surrounding us on every side, all I could feel was heat as I snuggled closer to America's jerk throb.

It was Chad's phone that broke the silence. He pulled it from his pocket with the arm not wrapped around me, studying the caller ID.

"Who is it?" I asked, too lazy to open my eyes to see for myself.

"It's…my family."

I sat up straighter, gently taking the phone from Chad's icy fingers. "Answer it."

He did. I knew Mr. and Mrs. Cooper; their voices sounded familiar when I pressed my ear against the side of the phone, trying to listen in. I couldn't help from smiling. They wanted to wish Chad a happy new year.

After talking to his parents for several minutes, Chad extended his phone to me. I'd stopped listening by then, giving him some alone time. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Don't look at me like that," Chad ordered. "They want to talk to you."

"Why?"

"I don't know. It can't be because they want to wish you a happy new year, too. That would be way too absurd."

Snatching the phone, I stuck my tongue out before bringing it to my ear. Chad was wrong; Mr. and Mrs. Cooper didn't want to wish me a happy new year at all. Instead, they said something that made my heart swell to five times its normal size:

"Next year, it's our turn to bring in the new year with you!"

When I hung up, Chad was staring at his watch, counting down the last few seconds of 2010. Inside the house, I heard my cast mates doing the same, shouting at the top of their lungs. 2011 would introduce a brand new Sonny. A Sonny who was finally getting used to living in Hollywood. A Sonny who lived her dreams. A Sonny who was undeniably in love with her fiancé.

"Two…" Chad counted, his voice mixing with the shouting on the other side of the door. "One…"

"Happy new year!" we cried in unison.

Sitting there on the porch, Chad's lips conquering mine fiercer than ever before, perhaps because he wanted to prove this year was going to be better than any others or maybe because we were both so cold our lips stuck, I found myself eager to say hello to the new and improved Sonny Munroe.

2011 was going to be my year to shine.


	3. Beyond My Worst Nightmare

Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. My computer died and I had to wait a week before I got it back. But now it's fixed and all ready to go again. So...Thanks for being patient!

A few notes about this chapter:

1. This is the chapter where the rape happens. I don't think it's bad enough to raise to an M rating, but...Well, you have been warned.

2. The book Chad works on with Mrs. Munroe was mentioned in BULL (bonus points to anyone who remembers!)

3. Not all the chapters will talk about the same topic as this one. I promise - THIS IS NOT A DIRTY STORY!

I think that's it...Thanks so much for the reviews! Keep leaving them!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter Two

Beyond My Worst Nightmare

_January 8_

Why had I agreed to do the interview alone? Usually I had Tawni sitting in the chair beside me or Chad within hand-holding distance, ready to reach out and give my fingers an extra squeeze if I grew nervous before the director shouted, "Cut to commercials!" Just because Hollywood was my home now and I really should have been used to interviews didn't mean I had any right to try handling one on my own! Especially if it turned out anything like my 'New Girl From Wisconsin' Tween Weekly feature where I either had a mouth full of meatballs or sounded like a diva whenever the camera found me. Shouldn't that have taught me to never try a solo interview?

It was too late now. The television station called me, I promised to give them an exclusive 'Sonny Munroe Story', and Tawni was out on a date while Chad spent the evening with my mom. I walked to the studio by myself, shook hands with Tina Snippet (the lady conducting the interview), and sat down in the big comfy brown chair she directed me to-

-Which was located in the middle of a huge stage.

The studio audience stared at me as I sat down, a few of them pulling out cameras to snap my picture, others turning to their friends and whispering, "Am I supposed to know who that is?" I smiled nervously, crossing my ankles and folding my hands in my lap. Then, deciding I probably looked stupid just sitting there, I unfurled my fingers, waving to the crowd in what I hoped was a welcoming way. Not one person returned my greeting.

'Where's Chad when I need him?' I thought, lowering my palm so I could use it to pour a glass of water. 'He always knows what to do in front of an audience.'

Applause broke out - Tina had just rejoined me on the stage. She, like Chad, seemed to know exactly what to do: she smiled brightly, waved toward the filled stands, and said, "Thanks for coming out tonight, everyone! If you look under your seats, you'll find a free gift basket!"

As heads began lowering to search for their baskets, Tina turned her attention to me. Her chair was to the right of mine but not so far away that she couldn't lean over and have her mouth near my ear, which was exactly what she did, gently pulling the water from my hands. I hadn't noticed how much I was shaking until I looked down and saw droplets sprayed on my clothes, leaving dark patches everywhere.

"There's no reason to feel nervous, Sonny," she told me. "All I'm going to do is ask you a few questions. Once I'm finished, I'll turn it over to the fans for another short question/answer session, then you're free to head home."

"Nervous?" I repeated, wishing the high-pitch would leave my voice. "I'm not nervous. What makes you think I'm nervous?"

"Thirty seconds until show time!"

Assistants ran toward Tina, giving her a last minute make-up check, brushing her hair, and even cleaning her already perfectly white teeth. My mouth was open, prepared to ask them if I looked alright, when every last assistant ran off the set. The man behind the camera was counting loudly. A hush fell over the audience.

"We're live in three…two…one…"

* * *

I could hear Mrs. Munroe on the other side of the door as I stood outside her apartment. Pressing my ear against the wood, I listened carefully, wondering when the right time to knock would come. Should I do it now while I heard running water or wait until everything was quiet? If I waited, she might think I was spying on her, waiting for the opportune moment. Then again, if I knocked as she did the dishes, she would have to stop her task in order to open the door.

"This is ridiculous!" I muttered. "I'm Chad Dylan Cooper. Since when has knocking on someone's front door been such a problem?"

Raising my fist into the air, I pulled back seconds before allowing it to connect with the only thing standing between me and Mrs. Munroe. What would happen after I knocked? Would Mrs. Munroe greet me with a smile or would she narrow her eyes in that menacing way she used whenever she tried to intimidate someone? I'd been inside her apartment many times before, but Sonny was always there, too. Sonny acted as my barrier. When things got too quiet or awkward, she started telling a joke or story she found amusing, breaking down the wall of silence.

Tonight, things would be different. Sonny was busy doing her interview with Tina Snippet, which was the whole reason Mrs. Munroe invited me over in the first place. At least, that was the excuse she told Sonny when she asked her daughter - my girlfriend - fiancée actually - to invite me over. What if she was only using the interview as a ruse? _I'll invite Chad over with the pretense of watching Sonny on television together, but then, as soon as he gets comfortable…BAM! By the end of the night, I won't have to worry about Sonny dating Chad ever again!_

"Maybe Sonny's right," I mused, trying to shake my thoughts away. "I have been watching too many episodes of Mackenzie Falls lately…"

Deep down, I knew Mrs. Munroe was nothing like the characters on my show. Penelope, Skylar, perhaps even Portlyn, would do something vindictive to Mackenzie, cheerfully inviting him to their house and tying him up once he arrived, locking him in a dark closet until he found a way to break free. But not Mrs. Munroe. There was no reason for her to use a plan like that against me, I hadn't done anything to upset her-

-Other than ask for her daughter's hand in marriage!

Remembering my talk with Mr. Munroe on New Year's Eve, I took several nervous steps away from the apartment door. He had taken the time to speak with me one-on-one about Sonny, but Mrs. Munroe never did. What if that was the real reason she wanted me to come over? Did she believe her husband's speech hadn't sufficed, that she needed to add her warning to the mix as well? She hadn't exactly been the warmest person since moving back to Hollywood. Just as Sonny's dad foretold, Mrs. Munroe gave Sonny new rules, rules that stated she wasn't allowed to stay out past eleven on weeknights, midnight on weekends, she couldn't go over to my house unless both my parents were home, and neither of us, under any circumstances, were allowed to be in a room together if we were the only two in it.

Just as I considered leaving the apartment complex without visiting Mrs. Munroe at all, the door I'd been dreading knocking on flew open. A bright face poked out of it, smiling hugely.

"I thought I heard someone out here pacing!" Mrs. Munroe laughed, opening the door wider. "Come on in, Chad!"

I had no choice but to do as she suggested.

"Don't mind the mess," Mrs. Munroe told me, gesturing toward the kitchen table. Instead of holding plates or silverware, photo books were spread across the surface. "I cleared up after dinner as fast as I could so we could get started once you arrived!"

If a tiger had been waiting atop the table, geared up and ready to pounce with special, "Kill Chad!" orders, I would have felt less surprised than I was after seeing the photo books. Out of all the things Mrs. Munroe could have done to me - gagged me, used a stun-gun, thrown me out the three-story window - she chose scrap booking?

Taking a seat at the table, Mrs. Munroe glanced up when she realized I still stood in the doorway, too shocked to move.

"Do you plan on standing there for the entire night?" she inquired, patting the chair beside her. "Get over here and start helping! Sonny could be gone anywhere from twenty minutes to two hours and we need to have all this stuff put away before she walks through that door!"

As I took a seat, opening the first photo album I grabbed to the first page, I understood why I was invited over while Sonny was gone: so her mother and I could work on her eighteenth birthday present without the person we were making it for interrupting us.

Mrs. Munroe told me about her idea to put together a scrapbook highlighting Sonny's life over a year ago. It was the third time I set foot inside her apartment - after the one time I followed Sonny home just to find out where she lived and the time she called me, forcing me to cut my massage to an hour - on a night I referred to as Munroe Monday. Sonny and I were only friends back then (it was during my week of winning her over so we could become more than friends), but Mrs. Munroe was so happy to have me in her home, she couldn't stop herself from bragging about Sonny. She showed me picture after picture and told stories I'd never heard before. She waited until Sonny excused herself to the bathroom, then pulled out a yellow book.

"The only pictures in here now are Sonny's baby pictures," she explained, whispering just in case Sonny was listening in. "By the time she turns eighteen, I want to have this book full of pictures, starting from the moment she was born to her last day of being seventeen! She'll be able to look back at her life just by flipping a few pages!"

"That sounds like a great idea, Mrs. Munroe!" I told her.

"So you'll help me then?"

I glanced around the room, wondering if I was supposed to understand the question. "I'll help you with what?"

"Sonny's present, of course!" Mrs. Munroe replied. "I can't do it by myself, not when she's living here and could walk in on me when I'm working on it! Sometimes, I'll need you to distract her by getting her out of the house, other times I'll need your help organizing photos-,"

"How am I supposed to do all of that, Mrs. Munroe?" I asked her. "Don't you think Sonny would find it…weird…if I started coming over all the time to help you?"

"Why would she find it weird?" Mrs. Munroe scoffed. "You're planning on asking her out soon, aren't you? Boyfriends and girlfriends visit each other's houses occasionally, don't they?"

And that was how I ended up sitting at the Munroe's table tonight, shuffling through old albums while Mrs. Munroe reminisced with every photograph, deciding whether or not she wanted it added to the yellow book. My job was simple: listen to her flashbacks, add glitter or a caption by whatever pictures made the cut, and memorize everything because I had a feeling Sonny would never let me see the book once it was hers, deeming the pictures too embarrassing.

While Mrs. Munroe and I concentrated on the book, we kept the television on in the living room. Neither of us could see the screen very well from the table, but the volume was loud enough to carry from one room to the other. From what I overheard, Sonny's first solo interview was going fine, just as I promised her it would. I had no idea how she could get up on stage and act every week and still feel she couldn't handle one tiny interview.

"So, Sonny," Tina's voice rang through the apartment, "Let's cover the question on many of your fans' minds, shall we? How come, until recently I mean, we haven't seen you on an episode of So Random since Thanksgiving?"

"Well, as hopefully everyone knows by now, I'm not originally from Hollywood," Sonny answered smoothly. "My parents and I agreed it would be fun to spend Thanksgiving back in Wisconsin so I could see the rest of my family again."

'You and your parents agreed you should go to Wisconsin?' I asked myself. 'Really, Sonny? Really? The only reason you went was because your mom forced you to!'

"I bet your family was thrilled to have a real actress among them!" Tina went on.

"I don't know about that," Sonny replied with a laugh. "Everyone was happy to see me, but I doubt it was because I'm an actress. They still see me as Sonny Munroe, the girl related to them who spends most of her time away from home! I try to lead a normal life despite my career choice."

'That shouldn't be too hard,' I consented, nodding along with Sonny. 'It's not like you're as famous as a true celebrity anyway. You'd have to move out of Chuckle City for that to happen!'

"It sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving," Tina continued. "What happened after the holiday was over? Why didn't you return to So Random like the rest of your cast mates?"

The tube of glitter in my hand froze as I directed my attention to the show. What was Sonny going to say? Would she tell everyone about her TB scare? There wasn't really a need to since she didn't have the disease after all. Telling the public would only lead to rumors. Someone would twist her words so it sounded like she suffered from TB or they'd tell everyone she was still waiting for results. She would be safer just to skim over that part of her leave from Hollywood.

"I had such a great time seeing my family and friends," Sonny explained, probably flashing Tina that huge smile of hers. "I decided to stay through the holidays!"

Mrs. Munroe stood from the table, closing the photo album she'd been studying. While stretching her arms above her head, trying to stifle a yawn, she mumbled, "Who are we kidding? Neither of us are really paying attention to Sonny's book right now. We might as well just put it away and watch her interview."

I obliged, jumping to my feet so I could help clean up the supplies (I know what you're thinking: Chad Dylan Cooper, HELPING someone clean? Wow, Chad, you really are a great person!). I had five or six thick photo albums in my hands, each wavering slightly as I tried balancing them-

"Now it's time to get into the real questions," Tina's voice proclaimed. "We've all seen the recording of Chad Dylan Cooper asking you to marry him. Here's my question for you, Sonny: When did you sleep with him?"

The books clattered to the floor, spewing everywhere and flying open to random pages, scattering a few loose pictures along the carpet. Mrs. Munroe, her eyes narrowed into slits, ran into the living room. Only one thought crossed my mind: 'I'm dead. I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead!'

By the time I allowed myself to follow Mrs. Munroe, standing as far from her as possible while still having view of the television, Sonny's face was beet red. Her mouth kept opening and closing like she was a fish stuck out of water trying to get air into her lungs. No coherent words left her lips.

"Ex-Excuse me?" she finally managed to choke out.

"When did you and Chad have sex?" Tina pressed on. "Come on, Sonny. This is Chad Dylan Cooper we're talking about. We all know what a player he is. Why would he settle down with a girl unless he was getting something in return?"

I wasn't dead at all: I was deceased, brutally murdered by Mr. and Mrs. Munroe, buried in the deepest grave ever dug, and currently living in a fiery pit, which was my just punishment for supposedly sleeping with Sonny.

Without waiting to hear Sonny's response, Mrs. Munroe spun around. Her eyes landed on me - those eyes that reminded me so much of the girl I loved - only now, instead of being filled with welcoming, I could see nothing but hate. Hate toward me, the boy who had, in her eyes, stolen her daughter's innocence and kept it a secret.

"Out."

"Mrs. Munroe, you don't understand. Sonny and I have never - I would never dream of-,"

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"

Taking a pillow from the couch behind her, Mrs. Munroe chucked - and yes, I do mean chucked - it at me, aiming for my head. I ducked just in time. The pillow sailed over me, hitting the wall with a booming _thud_! When the second one flew in my direction, I put my arms up in self-defense. The pillow brushed against my fingertips, causing it to go off course. It sailed to the table, knocking over the mug Mrs. Munroe had been drinking from, making it shatter to pieces.

The third pillow hit the door as I closed it behind me, finally granting Mrs. Munroe her request.

* * *

'Stupid interview,' I thought as I walked out of Tina Snippet's studio, kicking a stone lying on thesidewalk. 'I should have known she had a secret motive for wanting me to come alone! All she wanted to do was ask me about Chad while he wasn't there to lie for me. I told Chad it was a dumb idea for me to accept Tina's offer!'

The sun had already set, casting the studio in an eerie silence. Most cars had left the parking lot; I'd stayed for a long time after the cameras stopped rolling, hiding in the janitor's closet so no one could find me and ask even more embarrassing questions. I could only guess what mom's reaction would be after watching the interview. She probably would not believe it when I said the topic of sleeping together had never even arose between Chad and I, that he asked me to marry him because he loved me, not because I promised him…well, me, I guess you could say…in return. No, mom would block me out, saying it was time to move back to Wisconsin for good.

Stuffing my hands into my pockets, I shuffled my feet, wanting to take as long as possible to walk home. I wasn't in a hurry to see mom and hear her yelling at me for the next two or three hours straight. Truthfully, I wouldn't have minded putting off going home altogether, finding someplace to hang out for the remainder of the night, going to work in the morning, talking things over with Chad, Portlyn, and my cast mates, and then going home to face mom's wrath after having some kind of plan.

Staying out all night would make mom even more mad than she already was. No, the smartest thing to do was go home and face the music, try to explain my side of the story before it was too late-

A bright light brought me away from my thoughts. Someone's car pulled into the parking lot, their headlights blinding me before the driver finally shut them off. I sighed, freeing my hands from the pockets I'd stuffed them in, knowing some crazed fan was about to climb out and ask for my autograph. The last thing I wanted to deal with were fans.

Even though it was dark since the streetlamps were farther down the street, I could tell it was a boy who climbed out of the vehicle. He looked like he was close to my age: taller than Chad, bigger in the chest area like most football players are, a jacket bearing the symbol of either his high school or college. He sauntered toward me, flashing a huge grin.

"Hi," he greeted, stopping at the hood of his car and taking a seat. His long legs sprawled across the pavement, crossing over each other. "What's a pretty looking thing like you doing out here all alone at this time of night?"

"Look, I don't mean to be rude, but can we make this quick?" I asked, wishing I was just a random girl walking home instead of an actress. Random girls could brush pass a guy without speaking to him. Actresses had to be nice to their fans or they would lose them. "What do you want? An autograph? A picture?"

The guy shrugged his massive shoulders. "An autograph would be nice."

An autograph was easy enough. I would sign a piece of paper for him and then be on my way. The whole ordeal would take less than five minutes.

"Ok," I sighed, coming closer to the stranger. "What would you like me to sign?"

He glanced around, turning his pockets inside out before frowning, shaking his head back and forth glumly.

"I forgot to bring paper with me," he stated.

"You drove all the way down here to ask for my autograph but forgot to bring something I could write on?" I clarified, waiting for him to nod. "It's your lucky day! I have a notebook in my purse. Hold on, let me find it and I'll have that autograph ready in no time!"

Digging through my purse's contents didn't take long. I pulled out the notebook I kept there for emergencies and a pen. Looking for a hard surface I could use to write on, the guy motioned to the hood he was still sitting on. Deciding it was better than nothing, I leaned over, placing the paper on the hood long enough to sign my name.

"Who am I making this out to?" I asked, adding a star by the 'e' in my last name.

"Why don't you sign it to, 'Your Biggest Fan'?"

His voice was too close. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up straight as I nervously studied him, wanting to see exactly how close he'd gotten. His lips lingered inches from my ear. One of his hands hovered over the small of my back. If I took one step backwards, I would bring myself in contact with his fingers.

'Don't worry about it, Sonny,' I told myself firmly. 'He's just a fan of your acting. You'll be leaving soon and you'll never have to see him again. Just write as fast as you can so you can leave.'

As my hand traveled across the paper, sloppily copying the message I'd been asked to write, I could feel the boy breathing on the back of my neck. Warm air…nothing. Warm air again…I was finishing up the last letter when I felt something that resembled a pair of lips brush against my skin.

"Here you go!" I said quickly, tearing the page from my notebook, dangling it in his face.

"Sonny Munroe," he read, taking the paper from me. "What a nice name!"

Something clicked as he said my name, a detail I should have noticed right away when he called me 'a pretty little thing' and claimed to have left whatever he wanted me to autograph at home:

"You - You have no idea who I am, do you?"

He shook his head, flashing me that smile again. Removing the hand lingering behind me, he used it to fold my autograph up, slipping it into the pocket of his jacket. He had his autograph; it was time for me to leave.

For some reason, my feet refused to move.

"I - I act on this comedy show," I stuttered, wishing I could will myself to step away. "It's called So Random. You should watch it sometime. It's a great show, new once a week, sometimes twice if my friends and I can think of new sketches fast enough-,"

"It sounds great," the boy replied. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

A soft breeze picked up then, wrapping my hair around me. The stranger caught a strand of it between his fingers and held on, toying with it, running his thick fingers through it joyously.

"You have really pretty hair," he told me. "Has anyone said that to you before?"

My mind went to Chad. Chad told me I had pretty hair, back when he was filming Chad Dylan Cooper: The Chad Dylan Cooper Story. Chad needed to be here with me now. I wanted him with me, to distract the boy sitting on the hood of his car long enough for me to run away because I couldn't do it with the guy watching me. There was something wrong with him - something horribly wrong with him - and who knew what he would do the second I turned my back? What if he had a gun?

"Well, I should really be going," I said, laughing as I backed up, making sure to keep my torso facing the stranger. "It's late and my mom is probably wondering where I am. Not to mention my boyfriend is probably worried sick."

"You have a boyfriend?"

He stood up, taking a step forward with every one I took back. My cell phone was in my purse. I could call someone for help and they would come rescue me before anything happened. But how long would it take for anyone to arrive? I was in an empty parking lot miles away from a police station. Plus, if I used my phone, he would see exactly what I was doing, knowing who I wanted to call.

I opened my mouth to shout. Maybe someone would still be awake in one of the houses along the street. Perhaps someone working late at the studio would hear the commotion outside and come running. What other option did I have?

"At least let me give you a ride home," the stranger suggested. "It's really not safe for you to be out here by yourself, Sonny."

"You're absolutely right!" I agreed. "Why don't I just call my mom? I'm sure she won't mind picking me up, she is my mother, after all."

Just as my clumsy fingers grasped my cell phone, the boy took it from me, throwing it to the ground. The device broke apart, pieces of it flying in every direction. The only choice he left me with was running.

Spinning around rapidly, I finally got my feet to obey. They took off faster than they'd ever gone before, running away from the stranger and toward the studio. All I had to do was reach the door. I had to run through, make sure it closed behind me, and scream until someone showed their face. I would be safe then, free to go home before the boy could harm me.

I couldn't hear feet chasing after me, but I didn't dare turn around to make sure. Every second was dire to the situation's outcome. If I fell or stumbled, I would lose out on precious moments, perhaps giving the boy enough time to catch up. No, what I needed to do was press forward, focusing every ounce of energy I had on saving myself from the monster lurking in the shadows. I could not let him catch me. I had to keep running.

When the door was inches from me, I refused to slow down. My fingers reached out, grasping for the handle, begging it to open up - but no matter how hard I pulled, the door remained shut. My body slammed against it as my momentum gave up and I knew from the pain shooting through my cheek that I was going to bruise from the impact. The pain was nothing to me. My fists pounded on the locked door, my ragged voice shouted into the silent night, tears blurred my vision.

No one came to rescue me.

Two strong arms grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to turn my back to the door. The arms didn't move. They grasped me tightly, holding me firmly in place so I was shoved against the door, allowing the cold metal to press against my skin. I struggled against the man, doing everything I knew how: kicking, biting, flinging my arms as far as they could reach while under his clutch. He was bigger and stronger than me; fighting him was like a goldfish competing against a lion.

"Shh," he whispered, planting a rough kiss on my forehead. "Everything's going to be ok, Sonny. I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to give you a ride home, that's all."

He dragged me away from the building, holding my arm in his palm, crushing every bone I had. I wanted to cry out in pain. I wanted to dig my feet into the ground and refuse to go with him. Too bad there was nothing but cement below me. If it was grass or even dirt, I could have dug my heels into something, but not with cement. No way was I going to let him know how much pain I was in, either. At this point, if he was going to do something horrible to me, the last thing I was going to do was let him know how afraid I felt. Why give him the satisfaction?

Once we reached the car, instead of opening either the driver or passenger doors, the man led me to the backseat. Opening the door with one hand, he threw me inside with the other. He climbed in with me, slamming the door behind him. I reached for the door on my side, hoping to open it before-

_Click._

It was too late. I was locked in a stranger's car, parked in a deserted parking lot, with no cell phone and a man three times as big as me.

"Alright," I grasped at my last straw, trying to ignore the shiver traveling through me as the man kissed my face and neck. "Alright, you can give me a ride home. I live at-,"

"Tell me your address later," he interrupted. "Right now, let's have some fun before we say goodbye."

He tore my dress apart, watching as the fabric scattered to the floor. His hungry gaze landed on me, his fingers fumbling with the button of his pants, shaking out of them until they joined the remains of my outfit. Then, he closed the distance between us, kissing me fully on the lips while unhooking my bra.

Silent tears rolled down my cheeks as I was forced into a lying position, the man sprawling on top of me, enabling me to move beneath his strong muscles. Thanks to him, I could call myself something other than the new girl from Wisconsin:

Allison 'Sonny' Munroe…Hollywood's newest rape victim.

* * *

Something was wrong.

Mrs. Munroe asked me to leave her apartment and I did as she asked, but instead of heading to my house, I waited in the complex's parking lot. I wanted to see Sonny before leaving, give her a warning about her angry mother instead of letting her walk inside, thinking everything was fine. Three hours after I walked through Mrs. Munroe's front door though, there still was no sign of Sonny.

Finally, somebody was walking toward the apartments. I jumped out of my car, recognizing the brunette hair belonging to my girlfriend. She had her back facing me and screamed when I tapped her shoulder, turning around and slapping my cheek.

"Sonny!" I cried, shaking her gently. "Sonny, it's me, Chad Dylan Cooper!"

Her hand went back to her side - and that was when I noticed she wasn't wearing the same thing she'd been wearing for her Tina Snippet interview. Actually, she didn't seem to be wearing any outfit I remembered her owning. Was that…Did she just have a blanket wrapped around her?

"What are you wearing?" I asked, tugging on the fleecy material.

"I - I got cold during my walk home," Sonny explained. "I decided to warm myself up by wrapping a nice warm blanket around me."

"Really?" I ran my fingers over her bare shoulder. "What are you wearing under the blanket? Some kind of swimsuit?"

Swatting my hands away, Sonny turned her back to me.

"It's none of your business what I have on," she snapped.

Running ahead so I was in front of her again, I decided it was time to change the topic.

"I tried calling you. You never answered your phone."

"My phone is broken."

"Broken?"

Rolling her eyes, Sonny nodded. "Yes, broken. I dropped it when I - when I used the bathroom."

"You broke your phone while in the bathroom?" I repeated slowly.

"It fell in the toilet, got all wet, and now won't work," Sonny retorted. "Can I please go inside now or do you plan on playing Twenty Questions for the rest of the night?"

Sonny wasn't acting like Sonny. She hadn't smiled once since arriving and she always smiled when I was around. Well, except when I picked a fight with her, which I wasn't doing now. Had something happened later on in her interview that had upset her? Did she believe what Tina said about my only asking her to marry me because I was expecting something from her in return? Was she upset because her cell phone was broken?

"Just so you know, your mom was pretty upset earlier," I warned. "She threw two pillows at me and-,"

"Chad." Sonny said my name sternly, pausing to draw in a deep breath. "I'm tired. I want to go inside, take a shower, and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning, ok?"

"Fine," I gave in, realizing conversation was futile.

Leaning down to give Sonny a kiss goodnight, I was surprised when my lips met nothing but air. Opening my eyes, I saw that Sonny had disappeared inside the complex, leaving me alone.

Yep…something was definitely wrong with Sonny. I just had no idea what the extent of her problem was.


	4. Moving On

Hey, everyone! Sorry for the slow updates for this story. I get brain-freeze and...blah blah blah. Thanks for reading (if you're still reading, that is).

Thanks to the two of you who reviewed. It's really nice to know there are people out there reading this. Your reviews mean THE WORLD to me!

Disclaimer: I own nothing from swac...or Kool-Aid. Teehee

Oh yeah, this would be Sonny's first week of pregnancy.

* * *

Chapter Three

Moving On

_January 14_

In all honesty, nothing is ever my fault. Sure, people like to blame me when things go wrong, especially the Randoms, who seem to have some sort of hidden vendetta against me where they've agreed to blame me for anything and everything in an attempt to convince Sonny she should dump me. Sonny likes to blame me as well when something in our relationship turns sour. 'Chad, stop being so conceited,', 'Chad, tell me what happens on the next season of Mackenzie Falls. I'm your girlfriend, you can't make me wait three months to find out!', 'Chad, you are so hot!'. Ok, so maybe I am guilty of that last one…But for everything else, I am legally un-blamable. Seriously. I have a document stating so signed by the President himself.

Yeah. Be jealous!

What does my President signed document mean? Well, it means that no matter what accusations are thrown at me during my lifetime, I can never become the culprit. 'Chad Dylan Cooper stole my yogurt!' Technically, I borrowed the yogurt. 'Chad Dylan Cooper took me to see dead giraffes but refused to take me out for ice cream like he promised!' Actually, I never promised the ice cream. In order for a promise to be real, it has to be in writing with at least two witnesses present. 'Chad Dylan Cooper killed someone!' No, I tried to convince the person life was worth living while they ignored me, ultimately bringing the gun to their own head.

It's nice to be the star of Hollywood's number one tween show. Not only do I get more money in a week than an average person gets in a lifetime, adoring fans willing to do anything just for a glimpse of me, and Sonny Munroe as my fiancé. I also have the assurance that I will never ever spend a night in jail.

I don't blame myself for what happened during Sonny's solo interview with Tina Snippet. It's not like I headed down to the studio before the show, took Tina aside, and asked her to make sure she mentioned my sex life with Sonny on national television. I would never do something so stupid. Well, maybe I would if there was a sex life to brag about, just something to tease the other girls with and make sure they understood I was totally off the market. But nothing sexual exists between Sonny and me. Besides the loving glances we exchange from across the crowded commissary. Oh, and I guess some people would call holding hands a sexual act if they wanted true definitions. If hand holding counts, so does kissing. And then there was that one time when-

Sorry…what was I talking about?

Oh yeah, the fact that I can never be guilty. Which, in turn, leads to the fact that I never told Tina Snippet anything. Heck, I didn't even know she had her own show until Sonny told me she was guest-starring on it! Why would I take the time to drive all the way to some little studio I'd never heard of before, request to speak with a host not even famous enough to interview me, the great Chad Dylan Cooper, and beg her to inform the entire world I only agreed to marry Sonny because she promised me sex in return?

"You don't have to convince me. I was there when you asked me to marry you. I already know what happened," Sonny reminded me when I complained to her. "My mom's the one you have to talk to."

"Can't you talk to her for me?" I begged. "Your mom hates me."

"She doesn't hate you," Sonny protested. "She just…doesn't understand why Tina would ask me a question like that if she didn't have some kind of facts to back it up."

"Your mom does realize she lives in Hollywood, right? The place where rumors spread like wildfire just to make the stars look bad?"

Sonny smirked up at me. She seemed to be smiling a lot lately - more than usual anyway, which I thought to be impossible considering she was always laughing. For the past week, her lips stretched from one ear to the other and there was a glow about her face I couldn't place. It was almost like she was happy, truly and utterly happy, for the first time in her life.

"Don't worry about it, Chad," she assured me, taking both arms and wrapping them around my neck, leaning into me so I supported her weight. "Mom isn't just mad at you, remember? She grounded me because I came home from the interview wearing nothing but a blanket. There's no way that could have been your fault!"

"Oh yeah," I murmured, barely able to concentrate on the conversation. Sonny was always beautiful, but it was so much harder to think about anything but her when she was so close to me. "You never told me why you came home wrapped up in a blan-,"

"You know, I never noticed it before, but…"

Cocking her head slightly, Sonny bit her lip, waiting for me to drop whatever I'd been about to say and take her bait. I sighed. I would have to learn how to toughen up before the wedding took place. It would be a very sorry life if I always gave Sonny everything she wanted because I didn't have the willpower to say no to her big brown eyes.

"You never noticed what before?" I gave in, playing her game.

"Guess."

"You never noticed how awesome my hair looks?"

Sonny shook her head, letting me know my answer was incorrect.

"You never noticed how blue and sparkly my eyes are?"

"Try again - and by the way, only one of them sparkles."

"You never noticed what I've been telling you for years now, that I, Chad Dylan Cooper, the greatest actor of our generation, really am the greatest actor of our generation?"

"Not even close!"

Letting out a frustrated groan, I met Sonny's eyes. "Give me some kind of hint here. Are we talking hair, eyes, anywhere on my face, anything in this-," I gestured to my chest, "Vicinity?"

"Face," Sonny stated, using the hands still resting on my neck to pull herself up until she stood on her tiptoes. "I never noticed how incomplete your lips are."

"Incomplete? I'll have you know that my personal make-up artist spends two hours making sure my lips look perfect before every Mackenzie Falls shot! There are millions of girls out there who dream about kissing these lips every day, baby, so if you're going to stand there mocking them, maybe I should let someone who really appreciates them have their turn-,"

I was forced to shut up when Sonny pressed her lips to mine. The kiss was sweet, romantic, tender, and breath-taking, all at the same time. It still amazed me how stunned I grew over Sonny's kisses. With all the girls I dated before her, kissing was nice the first few times, but eventually, it changed into a publicity stunt, just something I did in front of the cameras without any true feelings passing between me and whoever the girl happened to be. Sonny was different. I could kiss her a million times a day and still be hungry for more.

"I never said your lips didn't look great, Chad," Sonny said, pulling away from me gently. "I just never noticed how incomplete they look when they're not saying hello to their perfect match."

"Mmm," I replied, placing her waist between my hands. "I don't think they were done saying hello yet…"

Just as Sonny began raising herself again, a loud, "Gross!", "Ew!", and "Get a room!" interrupted. Four Randoms stood behind me, each of them making a disgusted expression while Sonny tried not to laugh. I thought they'd be used to Sonny and I dating by now…It looked like I was wrong.

Normally, I wouldn't make moves on Sonny while at work, which could be one of the reasons her friends felt appalled upon turning down a seemingly empty corridor and finding the two of us there. At the studio, I was getting paid to play Mackenzie. There wasn't a lot of time to spend with Sonny, and the little time we did have together, namely lunch, was spent talking, catching up on each other's days, making plans for the evening, keeping our casts from killing each other, then heading to our separate sets, shouting over our shoulders something about meeting up after work. Our alone time didn't come until night, which was when we would head out to a movie or fancy restaurant or whatever we felt like doing. All the couple-y stuff waited until then to happen.

Since Sonny's interview with Tina though, our nightly rendezvous came to an abrupt halt. Mrs. Munroe grounded Sonny because: 1. She and I were getting married just for the sex, and 2. Sonny came home from said interview during the early hours of the morning, her clothes mysteriously missing. I could barely approach the apartment complex Sonny lived in without meeting a police officer!

A day or two after the drama was over, when I found the officer munching on doughnuts in his car, completely oblivious to my presence, I finally made it to the Munroe's front door. Not wanting to waste a single moment in case the officer realized I'd gotten around him, I began pounding on the wood, waiting impatiently for someone to let me in.

To my disappointment, it wasn't Sonny standing in the frame once the door opened. It was her mom, glowering down at me like I was nothing more than a piece of gum stuck to the bottom of her shoe.

"Good evening, Mrs. Munroe," I greeted, putting on my best smile. "How are you?"

"I thought I told you to get out of my apartment?" Mrs. Munroe replied, mirroring my happy expression.

"You told me that last Saturday…"

"Did I ever say I wanted you back inside?"

She started to swing the door shut. I put my foot in the way just in time, leaving a small gap between my body and Mrs. Munroe's.

"Mrs. Munroe, please!" I pleaded. "I never asked Sonny to sleep with me! I'm in love with your daughter, that's the reason I want to marry her! You've got to listen to me!"

"And you have to remove your foot unless you want it disconnected from your ankle."

Mrs. Munroe had her mind set. Her daughter was a victim and I was the one inflicting the crime. She wasn't willing to listen to any voice except her own - not even that which belonged to her daughter. She wanted me out of Sonny's life, more than likely forever.

There had to be a way for me to make up with Mrs. Munroe. Maybe if she wouldn't listen to me, I could pretend I really had made some kind of evil bargain with Sonny and apologize for it. Would she be happy if she heard the words, "I'm sorry," come from my mouth? Would that be enough to convince her Sonny and I could continue dating? Or would admitting to something I hadn't done, especially something as bad as this, just make things worse?

'_It doesn't matter right now how I word my apology,' _I told myself firmly. _'The important thing is finding a good time to say it!'_

I wasn't good with apologies. I didn't have to say them often (see above paragraphs about never being declared guilty) and I knew if I tried to think of a time and place to do it for Mrs. Munroe, I would mess things up horribly. That's why I stalked into my kitchen one night after dinner while mom took care of the dishes, prepared to do something I'd never done before: ask my mom for advice.

She was humming to herself when I first walked in the room, her blonde hair flowing around her face. Soap suds resided on her arms as she buried her hands deep in the warm water, cleaning off the dishes we had used for dinner. I wasn't sure what to say to her. Did mothers find it weird when their almost-eighteen-year-old sons came to them for guidance?

"This is a surprise!" she stated when I cleared my throat loudly. "I haven't seen you in this room since…Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen you in here!" She set down whatever dish was hidden under the suds, turned so her back was facing the sink, and locked her eyes on me. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"I was just wondering…You saw the interview Sonny did last week, right?" I pressed on, not waiting for an answer. "Her mom took some parts of it seriously that weren't meant to be taken seriously and now…"

"Now you need a plan to get back on her good side?"

I nodded dumbly. Sometimes, I loved the way mom could read my mind. It saved a lot of time with useless conversation!

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, it wasn't long at all before mom was smiling again. Her grin reminded me of the ones Sonny had been giving me lately: too big to mean anything good was about to leave her mouth.

"I have the perfect solution!" she informed me. "Why don't you invite Sonny and her mother over for dinner on Friday night? That way, your father and I can talk to her and we'll get to see Sonny again!"

My head was shaking back and forth before mom's suggestion was fully spoken.

"That's not a good idea," I told her. "It's a really bad idea actually. Sonny and her mom aren't used to…this!" I motioned around the kitchen, which was bigger than Sonny's entire apartment. "You saw their house when you visited last Thanksgiving, remember? They wouldn't be comfortable in a place like this."

"But…But…" Mom's lips quivered. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. "Why not let them decide for themselves, Chad? What's the harm in trying? I haven't even seen Sonny since the two of you got engaged!"

Apparently Sonny wasn't the only woman I couldn't say no to.

* * *

The way I saw it, there was only one solution to get Saturday night out of my mind: Move on with life and pretend nothing out of the ordinary had taken place. With mom around, it was hard to push away the horrible memories because she didn't believe my excuse for coming home with only a blanket ("What happened to the outfit you were wearing during your interview, Sonny? Did a band of flying monkeys rip it off of you, leaving nothing but a blanket behind?") and therefore, she grounded me for lying to her and kept demanding the truth every five minutes. Thankfully, my bedroom door had a lock. It was a lot easier to ignore mom when her voice was drowned out by my radio.

I knew Chad was curious about Saturday, too. He tried asking me about it at least once a day, but he was easier to evade than mom. Turns out teenage boys have very short attention spans. All I had to do was cut him off, say something flirty, and his thoughts made a 180, leaving Saturday far behind.

If my mind wandered to the strange man I'd been stupid enough to give my autograph to, which it seemed to do frequently considering the horrific events that took place inside his car, I went to my happy place. Instead of remembering the man's face, I pictured Chad's. When the bruises stung from the stranger's fingers, I changed their rough texture to Chad's soft skin. If I felt his coarsen lips conquering my own, I flashbacked to my first kiss with Chad and how happy I'd felt afterwards.

Some stupid, deranged man in an empty parking lot was not going to ruin my life. He may have stolen my virginity, but he didn't take my identity. I was still Sonny Munroe, new girl from Wisconsin whose biggest dream was being acted upon through So Random. One stupid night wasn't stealing my happiness.

Forced happiness; that was what I felt as I skipped around Condor, pretending nothing was wrong. I pasted a smile on my face, tried my best to come up with new sketches while brainstorming with my cast mates, laughed at their jokes even if they weren't funny, and devoted myself to Chad. Even though he knew nothing about Saturday and probably wouldn't be mad at me if he did know (I hadn't wanted to do anything with the stranger), I felt I had to make it up to him. Whether I called it cheating or rape, I had to prove to Chad it meant nothing to me, that he was the only guy I cared about.

That's why, on Thursday afternoon when Chad came strolling across the commissary toward my table, I flashed him my award-winning smile. He returned it before sitting down beside me, lying his fingers on the table's surface, drumming them nervously. My smile faded. It was never a good sign when Chad was nervous.

"Sonny, I have to be honest with you," he started, which was another bad sign. Boyfriends never said they needed to be honest to their girlfriends unless they were getting ready to say something the girlfriend didn't want to hear. Was he going to break up with me? Had he found out about Saturday?

While my heart began pounding in my chest, my mind racing with a million different phrases Chad could be about to say, none of them ending happily for me, my fiancé took my hand. He squeezed if softly, waiting for my eyes to meet his. I was too afraid to meet his gaze.

'_He knows!' _I panicked, fighting the urge to chew on my lower lip. _'He knows I cheated on him! What excuse can I give him so he won't break up with me? I could tell him the truth, that the guy forced himself on me…No, Chad wouldn't believe that. He'd think I was just coming up with excuses. Think, Sonny, think! There has to be something believable to tell him_…_Maybe I could say he was my cousin? What am I thinking, if Chad knows the whole story, he won't believe I did THAT with my own cousin! What if he can tell I'm lying? He knows my voice gets squeaky when I lie! I'll just have to control it as much as I can-,'_

"Sonny," Chad said again, taking a deep breath. "Last night, I found out-,"

'_Your girlfriend's a slut?' _I finished the sentence, closing my eyes. I didn't want to see Chad's expression when he told me-

"-That my mom has a week to live."

Was it just me, or had Chad said something about his mother?

"I know, I know," he went on, nodding his head to my (probably) shocked face. "It's hard to believe a healthy woman like my mom could fall ill so suddenly, but it's true. The doctor gave us the grim news last night."

'_Phew!' _I thought, feeling a heavy weight lift from my shoulders. _'Chad doesn't know anything. I'm safe!'_

"Mom was on the phone with Bryson when it happened," Chad continued. "You remember my brother, right? Three years older than us, looks just like me only a little taller and with a lot less talent, tried to kiss you the night you met him?" He shook his head sadly. "He was begging mom to let him drop out of college, just like he does every Wednesday. 'Please don't make me stay here!' he pleaded. 'I'm failing all my classes, my friends ditch me to hang out with cooler people, and girls find me repulsive!' Mom listened to all his petty problems, encouraging him that things would get better eventually and he'd regret dropping out of school. Somehow, she managed to keep her voice calm even though all of us could hear Bryson screaming at her, and then, after ten minutes of suffering through his girly shouts…BOOM!"

I jumped when Chad clapped his hands, causing several people to look around, trying to figure out who was disrupting their lunch.

"Boom?" I repeated.

"Boom," Chad confirmed. "It was too much stress for mom's sweet little heart. She fainted right there in the middle of the living room! Dad, Kimberly, and I rushed her to the hospital right away, but we were too late. Mom had already put up with Bryson's rude attitude for too long; she had a heart attack. According to the doctor, her heart is so weak, she has a week - two at the most - to live."

"Oh my gosh!" My hands flew upward, covering my mouth. "I'm so sorry, Chad! You must be so upset!"

Chad shrugged in reply, sending me a small smile. "Do you want to hear what her last wish is?"

"Only if you want to tell me," I said firmly. "I don't want to force you to talk about it…"

"Her dying wish…is to have you and your mom come over for dinner tomorrow night."

My arms were open, ready to hug Chad if repeating the last wish his mother would ever make brought him to tears. He flung himself into my waiting embrace, wailing loudly as his head buried into my shoulder. Strange…I didn't feel any tears soaking through my shirt.

"You made that story up, didn't you?"

"What?" Chad glared up at me, trying to sound appalled. "What kind of a sick person would make up a story about their dying mom?"

"Your mom isn't dying!"

Chad didn't fight me when I pushed him away. Sure enough, his eyes were dry and tear-free. I hated how great of an actor he was sometimes. Stupid Chad for making me believe his stupid stories!

"Ok, so I may have embellished the tale a tiny bit," Chad consented, "But she really does want you and Mrs. Munroe to come over tomorrow night."

"Look, Chad, it was sweet of you to try tricking me and everything, but I'm still grounded. I can't go to your house."

"That's exactly why I tried tricking you. You might not believe my mom's dying, but will your mom?"

"And why, exactly, should I consider lying to her when I'm already in trouble?"

At this point, Chad reached both hands across the table, clasping our fingers together. His hair fell over the sparkly blue eye I loved, making him look even more attractive than always. I fought the urge to lean forward and kiss him.

"I really want you to come over," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper. "My parents are going to help us, Sonny. They're going to help me explain to your mom what happened during Tina's interview. If everything goes as planned…" His eyebrows rose suggestively. "…You could be ungrounded by dinnertime tomorrow."

It was a pretty good offer. There was no way mom was ever going to listen to Chad or me. I wouldn't be surprised if she kept me grounded until I turned eighteen and legally didn't have to follow her rules anymore. But if Mr. and Mrs. Cooper talked to her too, maybe they had a better chance of making mom listen to them. Perhaps hearing the words spoken by other adults instead of the two teenagers involved would change her perspective.

The hard part would be convincing her to go. Although I spent time at Chad's house before I got grounded, mom never tagged along. There was no doubt in my mind she would love the huge mansion, the five-star restaurant food, and being waited on by actual servants. If she was going to reach the land of milk and honey, she first had to agree to let me off my punishment for one night.

With Chad sitting there, his eyes round and his bottom lip sticking out like the world's cutest puppy, I found the words leaving my mouth before I could stop them:

"I'll try to get mom to come," I promised.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are?"

"You know, I don't think anyone's told me that today…"

Closing the distance between us, Chad kissed me. It was one of those kisses that lasted two seconds - the kind he gave me whenever there were a lot of people around - and yet, I still felt my head spinning when he pulled away.

"I'm glad no one has told you how amazing you are yet," he said, his voice low and gruff in my ear. "I may have to punch someone if they had. You're _my_ amazing girl…And don't ever forget it!"

He left the commissary then, walking slowly toward the exit like he knew I would be watching him. By the time he disappeared from view, my face was flushed with blush. Chad Dylan Cooper looked _good_ from the back!

* * *

I had to pinch myself. Wasn't that what a person was supposed to do when they wanted to wake up from a dream? All it took was one little pinch and the scene around me would fade to black like it was the end of a Mackenzie Falls episode. I'd wake up nice and warm in my bed, looking forward to the evening because Sonny got permission from Mrs. Munroe to come over for dinner. I'd begin my day with a refreshing bowl of cereal before heading to work and-

"Ow!"

For some reason, pinching wasn't working for me. Don't get me wrong; the pinch I inflicted on my arm certainly had the pain factor of all pinches. It didn't make the scene around me fade away though. Portlyn and Tawni still stood in the midst of my kitchen, touching my food like they had every right in the world to be messing with Chad Dylan Cooper's cooking ingredients.

And the worst part about it: I had actually been stupid enough to invite them here!

"Don't be such a baby," Tawni scolded, glancing up from the huge blue bowl in her hands, which currently was home to something the tween star was stirring with a wooden spoon. "We're doing this for your sake, you know!"

"My sake?" I scoffed, folding my arms over my chest. "Yeah, right. The only reason you two came over was because you couldn't resist the chance to bake in a kitchen as great as mine!"

"I'm not sure 'great' is the right word," Tawni argued, glancing around the room. She studied the blue paint on the walls, the spotless sink without a dirty dish in sight, and the glittering floor. "I think 'bright' might be a better choice."

"Aww," I cooed in fake concern. "Is my kitchen too bright for the little Random? Hold on, I'll find something that'll help!"

When I returned a few seconds later, I slipped the pair of sunglasses I'd retrieved onto Tawni's face. She couldn't stop me unless she wanted the contents of her bowl sprawled across the floor, but her mouth fell open nevertheless.

"That's better," I decided, smirking at the comedian. "Don't feel bad, Tawni. I can understand why my house seems so bright to you. I mean, after staring into those tiny spotlights at Chuckle City, I bet even the lights in the commissary hurt to look at!"

I regretted the snide remark almost as soon as I said it. Tawni flicked her spoon at the perfect angle, making sure a huge clump of…of…of whatever she was mixing landed (and stuck) to my cheek.

"Oops!" she cried out. "I'm so sorry about that, Chad. I couldn't see how close you were standing. After all, this room is just _so_ bright!"

My hands extended toward the other blonde, ready to rip the spoon from her fingers and use it to smack her head again and again and again and again-

"Stop it, you two!" Portlyn ordered, stepping between my body and Tawni's. "Tawn, turn around and get those cookies out of the bowl and into the oven. Chad…" She glanced me up and down, from my shoes to my decorated cheek. "Why don't you go get dressed? Tawni and I will take care of things here while you're gone."

"I'm supposed to trust Blondie over there alone in my kitchen? I don't think so, Port. What if she blows up my house by forgetting to turn off the oven when she's done with it?"

"Don't tempt me," Tawni muttered, the smile on her face too suspicious for my liking.

"Chad, listen to me." Portlyn placed a hand on each of my shoulders. "Sonny and her mother are going to be here any minute. Your parents are in the living room, playing a game of Candy Land with Kimberly so they can look like the perfect family from the first second Mrs. Munroe sees them. Tawni and I have dinner under control. Trust me, it'll be done before it's time to sit around the table and eat. Now go change clothes before Sonny sees you wearing…that."

Glancing down at my outfit, I cocked my head to the side. "Wait…What's wrong with what I'm wearing? Sonny saw me wearing it at work today anyway."

"Chad…You still have your Mackenzie Falls uniform on! You need to dress up if you want to impress Mrs. Munroe."

"Dress up? Portlyn, our Mackenzie Falls uniforms are dressed up! I have a tie and everything!"

Using her grip on my shoulders to her advantage, Portlyn turned me around while I was speaking, pushing me toward the staircase leading to my bedroom.

"Go!" she demanded, releasing her fingers (more like claws, actually) once I was several stairs away. "The next time I see you, I want you to look like a totally different person!"

"This is still my house! I could kick you out for treating me with disrespect, you know!"

It wasn't fair. The only reason I invited Portlyn and Tawni over was because mom refused to cook dinner. "It's your girlfriend," she reminded me when I asked why she wanted me to ask the Munroe's over while she wasn't planning on fixing them anything to eat. "It'll mean a lot more if the meal comes from you." Me, cook? When there was a chance I could touch a hot pan and burn my perfect fingers? Yeah, like that was going to happen! So, I asked Portlyn and Tawni to take care of dinner for me and now, they were bossing me around, too. Did loaning your kitchen out for an evening somehow transfer power to whoever took care of the cooking?

Upon reaching my bedroom and pushing open the door, I found an outfit laid across my bed, bearing a note written in Portlyn's messy handwriting:

_Chad, _

_I have taken the liberty of finding the PERFECT outfit for your dinner date! Put it on, don't complain, and thank me tomorrow after everything goes right tonight and you're back on Mrs. Munroe's good side. Good luck!_

_Your greatest co-star,_

_Portlyn_

Tossing the note aside, I glanced at the clothes Portlyn had chosen. She called them the perfect outfit? I'd never seen anything so hideous! Navy blue pants, a sky blue shirt with a matching tie, and a navy blue jacket to throw overtop? Was Portlyn trying to ruin the night by making sure I looked like a smurf?

Downstairs, I heard the doorbell chime, signaling the arrival of Mrs. Munroe and Sonny. Oh well - smurf or not, I had to get down there before my parents ruined any chance I had with Mrs. Munroe.

Tonight, Mrs. Munroe would understand that Sonny and I had absolutely no intention of sleeping together until after our wedding.

* * *

"I love my parents!"

There was a goofy grin on Chad's face as he collapsed on his racecar bed. I knew why he was happy: his planned worked. While Tawni and Portlyn served dinner (a fact I didn't understand since I had no idea what they were doing at Chad's house in the first place), Mr. and Mrs. Cooper brought up Tina Snippet's interview. Mom's face hardened and I thought for a second she was going to stand up, saying it was time to leave-

"Isn't it horrible the way the media lies about our children?" Mrs. Cooper had said, shaking her head in disappointment. "They think they can spread any rumor they want because it's fun to watch people react."

"Well, I'm not sure how much of it is being lied about," Mom protested, sending a glare in Chad's direction. "I mean, every reporter gets their facts from somewhere, right? It's not like they just make things up!"

"I don't know about that," Mr. Cooper said, swinging an arm around Kimberly, who was sitting next to him and smiling sweetly. I loved Chad's younger sister. Her smile could melt even the hardest heart! "When Kim was just a baby, a photographer took a shot of Chad holding her. Instead of coming to us to get the facts, everyone started claiming Chad had had a child with some nameless girl."

Mom gave me a look that clearly said, 'What did I tell you, kid? Chad is trouble!'

"But, as you already know, Kimberly isn't Chad's," Mrs. Cooper went on quickly, noticing the expression on mom's face. "You see, the media likes to twist things around and give their own explanations for things they don't understand. For example, take what Tina said about Chad. She thinks that just because he's known as Hollywood's bad boy, he can't settle down with one girl."

"Tina wasn't coming up with her own explanations," mom disagreed. "Chad isn't the type of guy who would ever be happy with only one girl in his life. Less than two months ago, he cheated on Sonny with her best friend, Lucy. How do you know the same thing won't happen again?"

An eerie silence fell over the table. It wasn't a secret that Chad had spent last Thanksgiving square-dancing with Lucy, ultimately leading to a not-so-innocent kiss. I'd forgiven Chad for the offense when he apologized and told me I was the only girl he wanted, but apparently mom hadn't. She smiled smugly, thinking she'd won the fight.

Kimberly picked that moment to giggle. Five sets of eyes turned to her, wondering what could be so funny during such an intense moment.

"Chad doesn't like Lucy like that!" she explained, her eyes shining. "I know what he thinks about her now!"

"Don't even think about it," Chad warned. "Don't you dare get up from this table…Kimberly, no!"

He was too late. The youngest Cooper rose from her chair, ran from the dining room, and _thumped_ all the way upstairs. When she came back several minutes later, she held a picture of Lucy in her hands.

"What have you got there, sweetie?" mom asked in a sugar-coated voice, obviously thinking the picture was proof of Chad's disloyalty to me. "Can I see it, please?"

Kimberly handed it over, but she turned Lucy's face toward the table, leaving what should have been a blank page before mom's eyes. Instead of being blank though, someone had copied down a list in black ink. On the left side, a heading clearly read Reasons I Don't Like Lucy, followed by several bullets underneath. On the right was another heading, this time reading Reasons I Love Sonny. At the very bottom, written almost too small to read, were the words Conclusion: Lucy sucks. Period. Sonny Munroe has stolen my heart.

"See?" Mrs. Cooper spoke up happily. "What happened between Chad and Lucy was an accident. He's still young and of course he's going to notice other girls…The same way Sonny will notice other guys. Just because they take an interest in someone of the opposite sex doesn't mean they love each other any less."

"That's right!" Mr. Cooper agreed. "And as for what Tina said about Chad only asking Sonny to marry him so he could - well, you know." He gestured to the photograph. "Doesn't that prove how much he truly loves your daughter? Chad's a great kid, Connie. He would never take advantage of Sonny."

Mom's demeanor was falling. She looked back and forth from Chad's list, to his parents, to me, then to the three named jerk throb himself. She wanted to stay strong. The last thing she wanted to do was admit she was wrong in front of everyone.

"Sonny," she said slowly, keeping her eyes locked on the back of Lucy's picture. "I think you've been grounded long enough, don't you?"

Shortly after mom's proclamation, once she was deep in conversation with Mr. and Mrs. Cooper, Chad's foot found mine under the table. He nodded toward the stairs. We stood at the same time, excusing ourselves (not that anyone cared we were leaving) and went to his room, where he plopped down on his bed, lost in his utopia.

It was the perfect ending to a horrible week. There was just one thing bothering me.

"Sonny?" Chad asked, finally noticing that I wasn't sharing his happiness. "Why are you looking at me like that? Aren't you happy about the way tonight turned out?"

"Of course I'm happy!" I exclaimed, flashing a smile. "I'm so happy, I'm happy about how happy I am!"

"Right…Now that you have the lie out of the way, why don't you try telling me the truth?"

Darn my voice for squeaking! I really, really needed to think of a way to lie without that happening.

"It's just that…It's nothing. Forget about it."

"It has to be something, Sonny. Nothing is always something so by saying it's nothing, you're really saying it's something, which means you're lying when you say it's nothing because obviously nothing is something and-,"

"I don't understand why you don't want to sleep with me!"

I hadn't been planning on telling him the truth. I was going to make up a lie, one that had enough truth in it to hide my high pitch from escaping my lips, but his rambling threw me off and made me forget my original plan. My face heated up instantly; I wanted to run from the room, run as far as my feet would carry me. Anything was better than standing there, waiting for Chad to speak.

"What?" he said after several long moments, possibly even several years, ticked by.

"It's just that I know you're not called Hollywood's bad boy for nothing. I know you've done things with girls before. I don't want to know the details - if you told me, I might just have to throw up - but I know more than kissing has gone on. You were willing to do things like that with those girls, and then, the moment rumors start about us doing anything, you shoot them down. I can't stop thinking that there has to be a reason behind it…Like maybe you don't think I'm good enough for you? Or maybe I'm not pretty enough or…or…"

The tears were coming. I could feel them at the corners of my eyes and my throat constricted, not allowing me to say another word. I was being stupid. I didn't want to sleep with Chad - I couldn't sleep with him - until we were officially husband and wife. It didn't matter why he desperately wanted to end the rumor about us…At least, it shouldn't have mattered.

I felt a pair of hands cup around my own, gently pulling me forward. I let them drag me down until I sat beside Chad. He wrapped an arm around me, letting me bury my head in his chest.

"I don't know what kind of a guy you think I am, Sonny," he said, brushing my hair with his fingers, "But the only reason I wanted to stop the rumor was because of your mom. I mean, look at how hysterical she got over it! I didn't stop it because I don't want to…you know…with you."

I perked up the tiniest bit. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm not, Sonny. Honestly, I'm not. You have no idea how hard it is to control myself when you're around. But the thing is…" He drew a deep breath. "You're pure, Sonny. You're pure and I don't want to be the person who ruins that for you."

'_You wouldn't be,' _I reminded myself, shaking the thought away before it could take over.

"We should wait," Chad continued. "You know, just until after our wedding. I don't want you to think I don't love you because I do. I just think we'll both be happier if we wait for the right moment."

So he didn't find me unattractive. He just wanted to keep me pure - which, unbeknownst to him, was no longer possible. I smiled anyway, happy to finally know the reason behind his desire to kill the rumor Tina started, the rumor that wouldn't have come true whether Chad wanted it to or not. I wasn't the kind of girl who did things like that. If Chad wanted someone else, he could dump me and date one of his little fan girls, a girl who would more than likely throw herself into his arms-

"Sonny!"

Chad and I jumped at the shout. Kimberly stood in the doorway, her arms stretched above her head in joy. Without waiting for an invitation, she sprinted forward, stopped when she was mere inches from the bed, and launched herself at me, knocking me back on the mattress with the force behind her jump.

"Kimberly," Chad scolded.

"She's fine, Chad," I told him, turning my attention to the ball of energy lying on top of me. "What's up, Kimberly? Sorry I didn't really play with you before dinner tonight. It was kind of a stressful evening for me."

"That's ok!" Kimberly informed me. "We'll have tons of time to play once you marry Chad! You can come to visit me whenever you want to - even if it's every day! We could even have a sleepover!"

Kimberly started listing all the games we would play after we had more time and, in her words, I wouldn't have a stupid curfew to steal me away, forcing me back to my own house. Clearly bored with the discussion, Chad climbed to his feet.

"Would either of you ladies like something to drink?" he offered.

"I want Kool-Aid!" Kimberly shouted.

"Could I get some orange juice?" I asked in a much calmer tone.

"I'll be right back with one Kool-Aid and one-," Chad cut off mid-sentence. "Did you just ask for orange juice?"

I shrugged, nodding. "Yeah…I've had a craving for orange juice lately."

"Ok…Then I'll be back with one Kool-Aid and one orange juice," Chad confirmed. "Try not to miss me too much, ladies."

My grounding was over, Chad wanted to keep me pure because he loved me, and Kimberly was counting the days until my wedding with Chad. Despite everything that had happened to me in the past week, things were more perfect than I could ask for.

I felt like I was living in a fairytale.


	5. Defective Typewriter

Let's make this quick: LOVE the reviews, please send them if you're reading this!

This chapter is the beginning of Sonny's fifth week.

Signs for girls five weeks along: Cramping, bleeding, nausea, aversion for food or food cravings, headaches, mood swings, fatigue or weakness, and, of course, this is the first week morning sickness comes along.

I know there isn't a lot of action this chapter, but trust me, it starts getting intense from the next chapter on. Guess what? The new chapter will come sooner if you review!

Disclaimer: Look, it's a bird...No, it's a plane...Oh, never mind. It's just lifeisveryshortsoami uploading her newest chapter - which she owns nothing except for the plot.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four

Defective Typewriter

_February 6_

"Knock, knock!"

Chad Dylan Cooper marched into my dressing room, not bothering to wait for a response before tossing the door aside. He strolled across the floor in three long strides, leaned down once he reached Tawni's orange couch, and kissed me swiftly, his lips gone before I had a chance to realize what was going on. It wasn't until he stood up straight that I noticed he was carrying a small bundle in his arms.

"Good morning!" he greeted cheerfully - much too cheerfully for him. "How's my favorite fiancée?"

"She's good," I replied cautiously. "She's a little scared, actually. The man she's supposed to be marrying seems awfully…chipper for some reason."

When Chad opened his mouth to retort, all I heard was a loud, high-pitched bark.

"Chad!" I exclaimed, jumping to my feet and placing one hand on either of his lips, forcing them to open. I stared into his throat, standing on the couch so I could see better. "How did you end up swallowing a puppy?"

With my head towering over Chad's, as long as I tilted his head back I had a clear view to the back of his throat. I couldn't see any sign proving he'd eaten a dog. No fur stuck to his teeth and there wasn't a pair of sweet brown eyes staring back at me, begging to be rescued before it was too late. I felt confused. If there was no puppy, why had Chad barked?

Using one hand to swat away both of mine, Chad wiped saliva from his chin, rubbing it off on me once he finished. Then, he held up the bundle I'd noticed earlier, bringing it closer until its nose and mine were inches apart.

"I didn't swallow a puppy, Munroe," he stated firmly. "I rented one."

Sure enough, the wet nose began wriggling as it took in my scent. After deciding I was safe, a tiny pink tongue joined the nose, running along my cheek and leaving a slobbery trail behind. Giggling, I took the small dog from Chad, cuddling it to my chest while it continued to assault my face with kisses.

"Cupcake!" I cried, recognizing the brown and white fur. "What are you doing back at Condor Studios? And why are you dressed like that?"

Something was definitely different about Cupcake. The last time I'd seen him, when Chad rented him to prove he wasn't America's most hated puppy shover, he was the cutest creature I'd ever seen with his sweet face and beautiful markings. He still had the same face and markings - only now, everything except his head and tail was covered by some kind of costume.

"I chose his outfit," Chad bragged, smiling like he'd done the most amazing thing on the face of the planet. Which, in his eyes, he probably had. "Check out what he's wearing!"

Holding Cupcake out at arms length, I let out a huge sigh. Chad had turned the dog into the animal version of Mackenzie. Cupcake wore a simple white shirt covered by a blue jacket emblemized with the Mackenzie Falls logo. His tie fit around his neck perfectly, tucked under the coat so he wouldn't trip on it while trying to walk.

I saw my thoughts mirrored in Cupcake's eyes as his wagging tail came to a halt: Is this guy crazy?

"Chad," I said, turning Cupcake around until he faced the blonde actor. "Look at what you've done to this poor animal."

"'This poor animal'?" Chad repeated, petting Cupcake's head. "Sonny, I'm going to turn this poor animal into a star! My director said it's time for Mackenzie to get a pet. Cupcake is going to play Oreo, the faithful companion who does anything for Mackenzie. He's going to be famous!"

"Oreo?" I turned Cupcake to face me again, frowning as I studied him. "Are you kidding me? He doesn't even look like an Oreo! Why can't he keep his real name?"

Snatching Cupcake from me, Chad rolled his eyes. I hated when he did that. It was sign language for, 'I hear you, but I don't really care what you're saying because I'm better than you and know I'm right,'. Teenagers rolled their eyes to their parents at least fifty times a day! If Chad thought he was going to get away with it on me, treating somebody his own age like she was some stupid adult who knew nothing about his generation, he had another thing coming!

"I thought you understood what acting was by now," he said, stroking Cupcake the entire time he spoke, reminding me of those rich business men in movies who sat behind huge desks with gelled back hair, petting their cats like they were better than the rest of the world. "Cupcake and I are both actors. Surely you know what an actor is?" He pressed on, not allowing me to cut in. "Actor: somebody who pretends to be somebody else. If Cupcake is going to be an actor, he cannot pretend to be himself."

"Gassie is really named Gassie," I protested, placing my hands on my hips. "If he didn't have to change his name, I don't see why Cupcake does."

Taking the hand that was scratching Cupcake behind his ear, Chad placed it on my shoulder instead. "Gassie isn't a real actor like Cupcake, Sonny. He's on your show, not mine. Your show has no real actors."

'_Count to ten,' _I warned myself, struggling to keep my hands from curling into fists. _'If Chad hasn't apologized in ten seconds, you'll have every right to punch him. One…Two…Three…'_

Chad looked up at me, taking in my facial expression. If it looked anything like the way I felt, I had a feeling it was reddening by the second. Each moment that went by without Chad realizing his mistake placed another block on top of the leaning tower. Once I reached ten, the tower was going to crumble.

"What?" Chad asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong with you? Did I say something?"

'_Four…' _My fingers curled and uncurled, pleading with me, imploring whether or not they could strike. _'Five…'_

Staring at the ceiling, Chad's lips moved silently as he replayed our entire conversation. Cupcake glanced from the person holding him to me, shaking slightly. He had no idea what was going on, but dogs were smart animals. He could sense the tension building as I waited for Chad to reach his conclusion.

I was not a violent person. My last resort was a fist-fight. Problems were better solved with confrontations and peace picnics, but my emotions were running wild lately. One second, I was happy-go-lucky Sonny Munroe; the next, I was broken down into tears because of something stupid; then, the tears faded and I was madder than heck. It was an emotional roller coaster I usually only rode once a month. For some reason, this one had continued running for nearly an entire month.

It wasn't just emotions going crazy, either. I could handle feeling happy, then sad, then angry just fine. The part I couldn't stand was what I wanted to do while feeling those emotions. For example, when I was happy, I wanted to skip around, hug everyone in sight, and sing songs at the top of my lungs. Sure, there was a reason my nickname was Sonny, but come on. Skipping, hugging, and singing? That was extreme even for me!

And now, the anger coursing through my veins made me want nothing more than to wrap my fingers around Chad's neck, shaking him until he finally understood why I was so mad. I never resorted to violence, but for some reason, it was all I could think about as I glared daggers at my boyfriend.

"I get it," Chad declared proudly. "You're upset because I'll be breaking some kind of doggy labor law by forcing Cupcake to work for me!"

'_Six…' _Over half of his time was up and Chad still had absolutely no idea why I wanted to throttle him.

"That's not why you're mad?" Chad asked, changing his choice of words when I narrowed my eyes. "I mean, of course that's not why you're mad! I'm sure it's because…because…Well, I'm sure it's because of a very good reason."

Cupcake struggled in Chad's grasp, trying to set himself free. Reluctantly, Chad complied, setting the dog down on the floor. The moment Cupcake was able to move, he ran, taking cover from the fight he knew was coming.

With nothing left but his hands to defend himself (at least when he was holding Cupcake, I had a reason not to attack him. Without the dog, nothing stopped me from lurching at any second), Chad placed both hands in front of his chest. He smiled at me - the smile he knew took my breath away - and tried to dig himself out of the hole he'd dug.

"I'm sure we can work this out, Sonny," he assured me, gently wrapping his fingers around my wrist, trying to pull me off the couch. "Why don't we head to the commissary and talk about it over a bowl of fro-yo?"

I thought about agreeing to his idea. It wasn't like me to get so furious. Maybe all I needed was time to cool down and-

"I mean, it's not like you don't have time for a break," Chad continued as I prepared to jump down. "You do work in Chuckle City, after all. A day in your life would be a vacation day compared to what happens at the Falls."

'_Seven…Eight…'_

Holding his arms out like he expected me to gracefully spring from the couch and land in his waiting limbs, Chad's brow furrowed when I stayed where I was. He had two strikes against me now and hadn't managed to figure even one of them out.

"You know what?" Chad said, walking backward toward my side of the dressing room and the door he'd thrown open upon his arrival. "It's pretty obvious you're not in the mood for talking right now. I'll see you at lunch or-,"

He stopped when I grabbed his shirt, using it to pull him back to the couch. His mouth fell open in shock, his blue eyes lost their sparkle, but instead of letting him go, I clung to him tighter. My fingers clutched at his Mackenzie Falls uniform; once, I swore I heard the material ripping. The top of his head, level with my chin, wavered nervously.

"You…Said…There…Are…No…Real…Actors…On…My…Show."

Each word came out as its own sentence. My teeth grinded together, barely opening wide enough to allow the words through them. I was glad Cupcake had ran for cover. He didn't need to witness this.

'_Stop it, Sonny!' _a voice in the back of my brain cried. _'This isn't you! You're not the girl who takes her anger out on others, especially people she loves! Stop this nonsense before it's too late!'_

The voice was right. It wasn't like me at all to hold Chad hostage the way I was. I should have set him free, walked to the commissary with him, calmly explain why I was angry, and that would be the end of it. No matter how many times I ordered my fingers to let go, they stayed in place, refusing to loosen their grip on Chad's coat.

"Did I say that?" Chad asked, laughing nervously. "I wasn't talking about you, sweetie! You're a great actress! I could watch So Random all day long just to watch your acting in action!"

'_What's wrong with me?' _I thought, feeling every ounce of anger slowly drain away. Suddenly, I found myself letting go of Chad's clothes, reaching for his neck. My hands locked together over his blonde hair as I frantically pulled him closer, burying my head in his golden locks. I no longer wanted him nearby so I could kill him; I needed him in my arms because I was afraid.

"Sonny?" Chad's voice came out muffled. "Sonny, are you - are you crying?"

Sure enough, there were tears leaking from my eyes, soaking several clumps on Chad's head. There went the roller coaster again - fury at Chad worse than any anger I'd felt before, and now, a desire to clutch him to me, never letting go.

'_This isn't normal,' _I decided, wishing I could stop my tears at least long enough to kick Chad to his own set. _'All these mood swings…Usually they only last a day or two before I get my period. They've gone on for a lot longer than that this time, and I haven't had my period at all since-,'_

My head shot up fast enough to give any normal person whiplash. My lifeless hands fell from Chad and I barely noticed as he climbed onto the couch with me, asking over and over again if I was alright. Somewhere, Cupcake whined loudly, scratching at a door, pleading for someone to let him out of the dressing room.

I was too busy adding up numbers to care about anything going on around me. What night had my interview with Tina Snippet been? Why couldn't I remember the date? It was a Saturday, that much I knew, but what day exactly? It wasn't in December, I was in Wisconsin until the beginning of the year. February just started a few days ago, so it wasn't then, either. January must have been the correct month. But what day in January? How many weeks had passed since?

'_It doesn't matter how many weeks have gone by,' _I reminded myself. _'The important thing to remember is today's date.'_

"Chad?" I asked, trying to make sure my voice stayed calm. "Do you happen to know what the date is?"

Giving me a frazzled look, Chad reached into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. "Today's Sunday, February six. Why do you ask?"

Mood swings. Cramps. Light spotting, but not an actual period. All the signs of my period were showing themselves. The only problem was, I should have started it by now. It always came on the first day of every month, no questions asked.

I was five days late.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"

Tawni's mouth hung open as she rushed into the room, heading straight for the couch Chad and I stood on. Grabbing one of our arms in each of her hands, she pulled us to the floor, shrieked at the top of her lungs, and pointed to the cushion. It was impossible to miss the four indents left behind, two from my shoes, the other thanks to Chad.

"You RUINED my couch!" the tween queen announced. "I leave you alone for five minutes and you decide to ruin my couch!"

"It isn't ruined, Tawn," I protested, rushing forward and running my hands along the material, trying to smooth out the marks. "I'm sure it can be fixed, and if it can't, I'll pay to buy you a new one-,"

A loud _crash!_ cut off my apology. Tawni and I whirled around at the same moment, our gaze landing on Tawni's side of the room. Little shards of glass laid everywhere, leaving a gaping hole where a mirror had been five minutes ago. Cupcake stood directly under the mess, his tail tucked between his legs. Somehow, he'd managed to climb up on Tawni's make-up counter and knock a bottle of perfume into the mirror.

Walking toward the mess, Tawni scooped Cupcake into her arms. I seriously considered fleeing the scene of the crime - Chad was trying to sneak closer to the door without drawing attention to himself - but I knew it was too late. Tawni's couch and mirror were destroyed. Someone was going to pay.

"Check it out!" Tawni exclaimed in fake surprise. "A dog dressed up in a Mackenzie Falls uniform. I wonder who it could belong to?"

Her eyes zeroed in on Chad.

"Cupcake!" Chad cried out, taking the dog from Tawni. "I've been looking for you everywhere! Would you believe he ran away two weeks ago? It's such a relief to finally have him back safe and-,"

"Oh, shut up!" Tawni slapped Chad's shoulder before folding her arms over her chest. "What are the two of you doing in here anyway? Didn't you hear Marshall call you to the set half an hour ago, Sonny?"

I blinked back at my cast mate. "Marshall called me to the set?"

"Half an hour ago," Tawni repeated, nodding. "He wasn't very happy when you never showed up. Nico, Grady, and I had to practice a different sketch since you weren't there to play your part. I offered to cover my role and yours, but apparently Marshall didn't think that was a very good idea."

"Why not?" Chad wanted to know. "Was he afraid your head would get even bigger than it already is if he let you play two people at once?"

When Tawni stepped in Chad's direction, I rushed to his side, putting myself between the blondes.

"Now really isn't a good time to insult her," I whispered, pretending to pet Cupcake so Tawni wouldn't know I was really giving Chad advice. "She's mad at us. Mad Tawni is bad enough without you egging her on!"

"You're buying me a new mirror, Pooper," Tawni stated. "And Sonny, you're paying for whatever repairs need done to my couch."

"Deal," I said, cutting off whatever protest Chad opened his mouth to give.

"I'm glad we understand each other," Tawni said, rubbing her hands together happily. "Now, do you want to tell me why you never came to the set today? I would love to hear whatever excuse you'll be giving Marshall because, no matter what you say, he's going to murder you."

"I never heard him call me," I replied honestly. "I must have fallen asleep."

Chad was the one who rounded on me, almost dropping Cupcake in his haste. "You slept through Marshall's call? There's no way you should have been that tired, Sonny. You fell asleep on our date last night, went home two hours before your curfew, and hung up on me when I called you because you had to go to bed early. Last night wasn't even the first time you gave yourself a few extra hours for sleep. You've been tired a lot lately."

Cramping, mood swings, no period, and fatigue. Why was the list getting longer instead of shorter?

Thankfully, Tawni took one last glance around the room, probably checking to make sure nothing else was broken, then tossed her hair, "Humph"ed, and left. I let out a gush of air, relieved she was gone. Now all I had to do was get rid of Chad so I could do some research on the internet about missed periods-

"Ahh!" Chad screamed, sprinting to hide behind me. "Dakota Condor!"

"What are you talking about, Chad? I don't see Dakota."

"That's because you can't sense her like I can."

I turned halfway around, giving Chad a dubious look. "You have a special Dakota sense?"

"You'd have it too if you had some little kid with a huge crush on you," Chad replied, turning my head to face the front. "Now stop talking to me! Maybe if I'm lucky, Dakota won't notice me!"

"Can't you find somewhere else to hide?" I inquired, wishing he would listen to me for once in his life. "You're taller than me, remember?"

And with that last warning, Chad ducked down-

-Just as Dakota Condor graced the room with her presence.

In the past year I'd spent in Hollywood, Dakota hadn't changed much. She was still short, brown haired, and, as Zora liked to say, evil. Sure, she skipped into my dressing room happily enough, humming some song I didn't know, but less than thirty seconds later…

"Munroe!" she shouted. "Cooper!"

Cupcake yelped when Chad sprang to his full height, refusing to come out from behind me even though he knew Dakota could see him. Dakota smirked. I wondered if it was because of the fear in Chad's eyes or-

"Daddy wants to see both of you in his office," she explained. "Now!"

-Or because she knew Chad and I were about to be fired.

* * *

As scary as it was to be in Mr. Condor's office when he was seated behind his desk, it was worse when he wasn't there. My fingers knitted together, unfolded so they could drum against my knee, then entwined again. In an attempt to keep my leg from bouncing up and down, I placed my ankle over my knee, pressing down with all the pressure I could muster. Sweat beaded my forehead and I prayed Mr. Condor wouldn't notice when he finally came into the room. I was Chad Dylan Cooper. It was my job to be cool no matter what situation I found myself in. Cool people didn't sweat like pigs.

Dakota perched on her daddy's desk, swinging her legs over the edge in a care-free manner. She was dressed in a blue dress, a point she made sure to remind me of while leading Sonny and me to the office we currently sat in. Even though Dakota had Cupcake in her lap and was feeding him candy meant for humans, I felt rather than saw her eyes wandering in my direction every few seconds. After all this time, she still had a crush on me.

'_Maybe that's a good thing,'_ I told myself. _'If Dakota likes me, she might be able to talk Mr. Condor out of firing me. Oh, who am I kidding? I can't keep my job if Sonny's being fired! She's the only reason I love coming to work every day!'_

'_Well…Maybe not the only reason,' _another voice disagreed. _'Sonny's great and everything, but so is the check I get every week for playing Mackenzie. Would Sonny mind if I kept my job even if she got fired? It's not like she couldn't find another show to act on. She, unlike the other losers on her show, actually has talent.'_

'_Stop thinking like that!' _the first voice jumped back in. _'Just because Mr. Condor wants to talk to you - which he rarely does unless he has bad news - doesn't mean anyone's getting fired! Maybe he just wants you to baby-sit Dakota for a few hours or something.'_

A hand covered mine, sending a wave of relief through me. Lost in my own thoughts, I'd almost forgotten Sonny was sitting beside me. She looked the exact opposite of what I felt. While I fretted over everything, she seemed cool and collected. Her legs, crossed at the ankles, sat perfectly still on the carpet. There wasn't a bead of sweat anywhere on the flawless skin of her face. Her hand stayed still as it rested on mine. To anyone watching the scene from outside, Sonny would appear as the cool one while I crossed over into 'worrywart'.

"Calm down," Sonny ordered, sending me a smile. "Everything's going to be okay."

"No talking!" Dakota reprimanded, putting a finger over her lips and glaring at Sonny.

So the girl who went through emotions faster than a snap of the fingers was able to remain calm after all. Hanging out with Sonny lately was like…well, it was certainly unpredictable. Once Mrs. Munroe ungrounded Sonny and allowed the two of us to continue dating, things started to get weird. The changes were small at first, then gradually they got bigger and bigger.

The first thing I noticed was Sonny's beverage exchange. While she used to love drinking soda and other sugary things most teenagers enjoyed, now she wanted nothing but orange juice or water. If I accidentally filled her cup with pop when we went out for dinner, she would take a few sips, stick her tongue out in disgust, and go to the front counter, requesting a brand new cup. When I asked her why she didn't simply dump the first beverage, she told me the taste would still linger behind.

Mood swings came next. Of course I was used to them - turns out most girls suffered from them when receiving their monthly gifts - but Sonny's were lasting longer than the rounds I usually dealt with. We'd be sitting in her living room, watching an episode of So Random (her choice, not mine. I watched the show because she was girlfriend; that didn't mean I had to obsess over it). She'd be laughing her head off one second, crying into my shirt the next, muttering through her sobs something about how she didn't deserve to work with people as great as Nico, Grady, Tawni, and Zora. If I told her how good she looked in a certain outfit, she'd thank me with a huge smile, then frown, demanding to know if she looked ugly when she wore other clothes. Even our typical 'Good' 'Good' 'Fine' 'Fine' arguments were things to stay away from recently. No matter how playfully they started out, Sonny was furious by the end, screeching insults at me louder than most public places wanted their visitors speaking.

After the mood swings came nap time. Sonny could be happy for a long time, laughing and cracking jokes and acting like the girl I'd fallen in love with. Then, sometimes while she was right in the middle of a sentence, she'd plop down, trapped in a deep slumber. I caught her red-handed snoozing in her dressing room, sprawled across the couch in the prop house, and one time with her nose buried in her lunch. It was like she was missing out on several hours of sleep a night, even though she claimed she hadn't changed anything with her sleeping schedule.

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what was wrong with Sonny. If she knew what was going on, she refused to tell me. Was she really sick this time unlike the TB scare? Did she have some kind of disease where her monthly present hit her twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty-five days a year? I had no idea. All I knew was that I missed the old Sonny.

"I don't care! Fire him!"

Sonny's hand flew to her side as I flung it off mine, sitting up as straight as I could in my chair. Mr. Condor, yelling into the ear piece he always had stuck in his ear, entered his office. He plopped down behind his desk, holding up a finger to let Sonny and I know he'd be with us soon.

"Well, if he doesn't leave quietly, then cancel the whole show!" There was a short pause. "What do you mean he doesn't work on a show? What does he do then, work as a custodian?"

Dakota continued humming, clutching the trembling Cupcake closer to her as the dog tried to escape. I knew exactly how he felt. If Dakota was holding me like that, her claws (fingers, I mean) running through my hair, I'd be doing my best to get away, too.

"All he does is deliver mail to the actors?"

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Sonny lean closer to Mr. Condor's desk. She was friends with the mail guy - What was his name? Jake? Josh? Jared? I had a bad feeling she was going to try sticking up for him.

"If that's all he does, then it shouldn't be too hard to fire him," Mr. Condor laughed. His face became grim again. "I want the problem taken care of by the time I'm done with my meeting!"

"Mr. Condor, I'm sure you have other options than firing-,"

Sonny shut up when I elbowed her side. She glared at me, but I pretended not to notice. When sitting in your boss's office, having no idea whatsoever why he called you there in the first place, it's a bad decision to pick a fight with him, even if he decides to fire one of your friends. There was so much Sonny still had to learn about the do's and don't's of living in Hollywood.

Luckily, Mr. Condor missed Sonny's interruption. His phone call finished, he turned his attention to Sonny and me. I didn't like the frown crossing his lips.

"Sonny Munroe," he said without a hint of a smile. "Chad Dylan Cooper. Did you know that together, the two of you have brought more money to this studio than any of the shows filmed here?"

'_Huh,'_ I thought, exchanging a look with Sonny. _'This doesn't sound like an 'I'm-going-to-fire-you' speech…It sounds more like he's rewarding us…'_

"The fans love your relationship," Mr. Condor continued. "When you weren't together, they wanted you together. When you became a couple, Mackenzie Falls and So Random viewers went up by 66%. Now that you're engaged…"

The ax was coming. Mr. Condor started off by letting us know how much fame and fortune we'd given Condor Studios, and now, he was going to tell us he didn't need us any longer, that no tweens cared about an engaged couple. I closed my eyes, waiting for the words to come.

"…Another network wants the two of you to work for them."

The room fell into an eerie silence.

"I can't stop either of you from leaving," Mr. Condor went on, his glower deepening. "As you know, your contracts allow you to leave your shows whenever you feel it's time to move on, especially since you're both almost eighteen and will probably want to move on to bigger acting careers in the future. If you choose to switch over to the other network, you'll be filming a soap opera based on your relationship. The job would pay…" Here, Mr. Condor drew a deep breath. "It pays almost five times more than either of you are making on your shows now."

I couldn't believe it. I always knew Mackenzie Falls wouldn't last forever, that eventually the fans would get sick of it (not likely) or I'd outgrow Mackenzie (much more likely). But this…This was better than anything I'd imagined doing after dropping the Falls! A soap opera obviously meant I'd be working for an older audience, which was perfect since I was getting older, too. Plus, Sonny would be on the show with me. We wouldn't have to worry about working on separate sets or having feuding casts. We'd be together all day long!

When I looked at Sonny, expecting to see the same joy I felt reflected in her eyes, I was surprised to find her staring at the floor.

Maybe Mr. Condor had given us our conversation topic for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper could probably hear the shouting long before Chad and I reached his house's front door. It started while we were seated in his car, continued once he parked, went on as we walked along the front path, then finally came to an abrupt halt when Chad stopped on his porch.

"You know what? I'm done talking about this," he told me. "If you don't want to do the new show, then fine. We won't do the new show."

"It's not that I don't want to do it," I protested. "I just don't want to leave my friends behind. I moved to Hollywood so I could work on So Random, not so I could make friends and drop them the second something better came along."

"You wouldn't have to leave them behind! Our new set is only an hour away from here, Sonny! You'd get to see the Randoms whenever you wanted to see them!"

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be the same as working with them."

His hands balling into fists, Chad shook his head, turned his back on me, and twisted the doorknob that would bring him into his house.

"If I see you anymore tonight, I'm going to end up saying something I'll regret," he said, slipping some change into my hand. "You can take the bus home."

"Chad, the nearest bus station is two miles away-,"

My only answer was a door slamming in my face.

It wasn't fair. I had a million things on my mind and Chad wanted me to push them aside so I could concentrate on the job offer Mr. Condor gave us. Why was he so eager to leave everything he knew behind anyway? Was it that bad working on the Falls? Did he really want to give up all his friends, the great food he got during lunch, the fans hooked to his show? Why couldn't we stay at Condor for awhile, at least until I figured out what was up with my mood swings? Couldn't we discuss switching networks after I was sure there was nothing wrong with me?

No. With Chad, it was live in the moment. If a job offer came up, it was either grab it by the horns or don't take it at all. Who cared what anyone else wanted as long as the great Chad Dylan Cooper ended up happy?

I thought about pounding on the door, demanding Chad drive me to the bus stop if he couldn't bear taking me as far as my apartment. The air wasn't too chilly and the moon hadn't completely taken over the sky. There was no reason I couldn't walk two miles. It would be good exercise for me anyway.

"Sonny? Where are you going?"

Mrs. Cooper stood in Chad's place on the porch. Her hair was tied back loosely, allowing random locks to blow in the soft breeze. Her kind blue eyes watched me carefully before glancing over her shoulder, searching for her son.

"Where's Chad?" she demanded. "Didn't he invite you in?"

"Actually, Mrs. Cooper, I was just on my way home."

"Chad's making you walk home?"

Grabbing my arm, Mrs. Cooper drew me into the house. Chad was nowhere in sight - I had a feeling he'd disappeared to his room - and Kimberly was sitting at the dining room table, books spread out in every direction. She sighed, looked up long enough to give me a weak smile, then returned to what I could only assume was homework.

I felt like I was intruding. Sure, I'd been to Chad's house many times, but never when he was angry at me and had just thrown bus money in my palm. What if he came downstairs? Would he be mad if he found out I hadn't left?

"I'll be having a talk with Chad about the way he treats certain people," Mrs. Cooper informed me, motioning for me to follow her. "I'm sorry I can't take you home right now, but I'm right in the middle of cooking dinner. My husband will drive you as soon as he gets home from work."

"Are you sure?" I asked, shadowing the older woman to her kitchen where many pleasant smells greeted me. "I don't want to be a hassle. I really don't mind walking."

"You're not a hassle!" Mrs. Cooper cried, hugging me tightly. "We think of you as a member of our family, Sonny! I don't want you to ever feel out of place when you come over, alright? Our home is your home!"

I loved Mrs. Cooper. For someone who lived in Hollywood and had a son as conceited as Chad, she was as down-to-Earth as anyone I knew. She was easy to talk to, cared about other people, made home-cooked meals instead of buying frozen food and throwing it into the oven…

'_And,' _I reminded myself, _'She works as a nurse.'_

"Mrs. Cooper?" I paused, chewing on my lower lip. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"If this is about whatever you and Chad are fighting about, I'm sure you're right and he's wrong." Mrs. Cooper sent me a sweet smile. "Us girls are always right."

"Thanks, but…That's not what I want to talk about. I have a question for you, actually."

One of the counters in the Cooper's kitchen stretched out into the middle of the room. It was surrounded by stools so the cook could sit down and take a break if they wanted to or others could rest their feet while carrying on a conversation with whoever happened to be cooking. Mrs. Cooper placed herself on one of the stools, inviting me to do the same.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Sonny," she said once I complied.

"Well, you see, my teacher assigned an essay and I really need to get a good grade on it, but the problem is, I don't know much about the topic. I thought maybe you, since you're a nurse and know a lot about health questions, might be able to help more than the internet could." The lies came out at a rapid speed. Mrs. Cooper didn't know me as well as Chad; she had no idea I was lying through my teeth. "I'm supposed to find out reasons why a girl could miss her period."

Mrs. Cooper nodded, giving me a reassuring smile. "I'll be happy to help! Let's see, missed periods…Well, I guess the most common reason a girl skips her period is because she's pregnant."

I gulped, my fingers clutching my stool, trying to break the wood beneath me. Mrs. Cooper had just given me the cause I was most afraid of hearing.

"Of course, there are other things that can cause a missed period as well," she went on, too caught up in her answer to notice my reaction. "Stress is one of the big reasons. There's also certain illnesses that can keep your period at bay, or if you dramatically change your schedule, change your medication, gain a bunch of weight, or lose a bunch of weight, all of those can factor in, too."

'_Did you hear that?' _a happy voice in the back of my mind cried. _'There are plenty of reasons for your period to be late!'_

'_Yeah, there are…Except for the fact that none of them fit!' _I argued. _'I haven't been under a lot of stress lately. Not until today when Mr. Condor told me about the new job, anyway. I haven't felt sick, either. My schedule has been the same for a long time. I don't take any medication. I haven't gained weight or lost any…'_

"Is that all you need to know for your paper, sweetheart?" Mrs. Cooper asked, breaking into my thoughts.

"That pretty much covers everything," I replied, debating whether or not I should ask the question burning in my mouth. "It's just…I have one little extra credit question and I could really use the bonus points."

"Go ahead and ask," Mrs. Cooper prompted. "I'll see if I have an answer for you."

It was now or never.

"If a girl does miss her period because she's…pregnant…" I flinched, deciding it should be illegal for someone as young as me to even mutter such a word. "How soon would she know that was the reason? I mean, I know she wouldn't start gaining weight right away or anything, but are there other signs she should be searching for?"

I could have waited until I got back to my apartment, saving these questions for mom. She would know the answers - she'd given birth to me, of course she knew about babies - but as hard as it was asking Mrs. Cooper for the information, I could only imagine how much worse it would be to stare into mom's eyes instead.

"That depends how far along the girl is in her pregnancy," Mrs. Cooper replied. "If she's only just started her nine months, she probably won't notice many differences. She might feel tired more often-,"

Strike number one.

"-Or get signs like she often gets when her period's on the way, such as cramps, bloating, mood swings-,"

Strike number two.

"-She might even experience spotting or a lighter period."

Strike number three.

"The biggest sign," Mrs. Cooper pressed on, "Is when the girl starts experiencing morning sickness. If she's throwing up and hasn't had her period yet, it's time for her to take a test and find out whether or not she's pregnant."

So, one sign out of four hadn't happened. Maybe I was worrying myself over nothing. The more I thought about it, stress was probably the reason for my missed period after all. I stressed over mom asking me over and over again where my clothes disappeared to after Tina's interview. I stressed about Chad finding out the true events of that night. I stressed about the possibility of being pregnant.

By the time Mr. Cooper dropped me off at my apartment complex an hour later, I had successfully convinced myself stress was my only problem, that I had nothing to worry about-

-Until I rushed to the bathroom after taking one look at the beautiful dinner mom spread out for me, throwing up even though I hadn't eaten anything in hours.

Strike number four.

* * *

Sonny was acting completely and utterly unfair. All I wanted to do was drive out to what would be our new set, listen to what our new producer had to say, and find out whether or not the new show would be the right choice for us. She wouldn't hear a word about it. She was so against leaving her friends behind that she wasn't willing to even consider a new path for herself.

She was the only person I knew who put her friends above herself. If Nico or Grady were offered a new job, they'd take it, even if it meant leaving the rest of the Randoms behind. Zora would - well, who knew what she would do? She was weird. Tawni, I was sure, would take the new role without giving Sonny a second thought. Why did my girlfriend have to be the stubborn one?

A soft knock on my bedroom door pulled me away from Sonny and back to the world.

"Mom!" I whined, knowing it had to be her on the other side of the door. "I said I'd make my bed in a minute!"

"That's not what I want to talk to you about, Chad."

Mom pushed open my door (which would have been locked had she allowed such a thing in her house), walking slowly across the length of the room. She stopped in the oddest places, studying the titles on my bookshelf, running her fingers along one of my posters. When she made to the desk I sat at, she sat down on the edge.

"Look, I already know what you're going to tell me," I started before she said anything. "I shouldn't have asked Sonny to take the bus home. I'm going to call her and apologize in a few minutes."

"I know you are," mom agreed. "I came in here to ask if you needed help with your homework."

I sat there, feeling very confused. Mom never asked if I needed help with my homework.

"You know I have people who do my homework for me."

"And you know I think you should do it yourself." Mom sidled closer to me. "Don't you have to write a paper about girls and their periods?"

'Girls' and 'periods' were two words any teenage boy never wanted to hear their mother say, much less in the same sentence. I stuck my tongue out in disgust.

"Ew!" I exclaimed. "Why would I have to write a paper about that?"

Mom raised her eyebrow. "You and Sonny have the same teacher, don't you?"

"Yes, mom, and I can assure you, she never gave us an assignment like that!"

"But, Sonny said…"

I waited for mom to finish her statement. "Sonny said what?"

Shaking her head, mom climbed to her feet, heading toward the door she'd left open. She seemed to be in some sort of trance.

"I think she didn't say a lot more than she did say."

'_Girls,' _I thought, shaking my head. _'I don't think I'll ever understand them!'_


	6. Twisted Twister

Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! I think that's the most I've gotten for one chapter in awhile! I love reading your thoughts, especially when you try guessing what's going to happen next. I'll make a deal with you: YOU keep leaving reviews and I'll keep udating. Does that sound fair enough?

For anyone who doesn't know, COW and BULL are both back on my profile. If you would like a refresher what happened before CALF, you are now free to read the stories that came first whenever you feel like reading them. lol

Sorry if you think this chapter is boring. I just wanted to add some Valentine's Day fluff before the story gets too full of drama.

Disclaimer: I own NOTHING! If I did, I'd change a LOT of stuff on Disney Channel

* * *

Chapter Five

Twisted Twister

_February 14_

Valentine's Day: An annual commemoration held on February fourteen celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. Or, as I liked to call it: The one day a year when a guy could shower his girlfriend with attention and not look like an idiot.

Sonny loved Valentine's Day (technically, she loved every holiday known to the human race). I obliged when she asked for my help decorating the studio. I followed her around every day for a week, hanging up hearts wherever she told me to, placing tiny bowls of candy as a centerpiece on every table, and even asking Mr. Condor for permission to play lovey-dovey music through the halls. It was enough to make any single person want to drown their sorrows in chocolate, I was sure of that.

This year, assisting Sonny with the decorating wasn't enough. There had to be something else I could do to make today special for her. A private plane ride around Hollywood? No, we'd done that our first night in Wisconsin. Perhaps a candlelit dinner for two? Better, but too cliché for Chad Dylan Cooper. I needed something that would throw her off her feet, set her mind swirling, remind her once again why I was the greatest boyfriend - nay, fiancé - who ever lived.

That's why, when Sonny texted me to let me know she had a ride to the studio and I didn't need to stop by to pick her up, I parked in the So Random lot anyway, letting myself onto their set like I had every right in the world to be there. It wasn't often that I visited when Sonny chose to be elsewhere (what reason could I have for seeing the Randoms if my girlfriend wasn't with them? To strike up actual conversations with Cloudy, Rainy, the Tween Queen, and Thing Number One? Yeah, right!), which could have very easily explained why no one noticed when I strolled into the Prop House.

There didn't seem to be much love passing between the friends when I situated myself on their couch, spreading my body out and folding my hands behind my head. 'It's a good thing Sonny's not here to see this,' I thought, shaking my head disgracefully. 'What would she think if she knew her cast mates were fighting on a day meant to share love?'

And fight the Randoms did, so wrapped up in their disagreements that not one of them noticed my presence. I considered saying something just to see if they would realize they weren't alone in the room, but as my mouth opened, I came up with a better idea. Why speak up when I could listen in on their feuds?

"I don't see what the big deal is!" Nico said to Tawni, who had her back facing him and was rolling her eyes. "If Jonah canceled on you, why can't I take you out tonight instead?"

"Because, Nico," Tawni replied, finally turning around so she could meet her cast mate's eyes. "Not having any date at all for Valentine's Day is better than being stuck with someone as far out of my league as you!"

'Nico's trying to hit on Tawni?' I had to cover my mouth to keep from laughing. 'I'll have to remember to tell Sonny that one. Now THAT'S funny!'

On the other side of the room, Grady and Zora were debating over something much different than whether or not they wanted to celebrate Valentine's Day together. Actually, if I heard them correctly, they were talking about…

"We've been over this at least a hundred times!" Zora exclaimed angrily. "There is no such thing as Cupid!"

"Then who does this belong to?" Grady demanded, showing the younger girl an arrow.

"It belongs to me!" Zora cried, taking it from him. "I made it last night so I could throw it at you today!"

"Oh, and I suppose you're going to try telling me you stole that arrow from Cupid?"

"I COULDN'T HAVE STOLEN IT FROM CUPID BECAUSE CUPID DOESN'T EXISIT!"

"You know, I should really drop by more often," I interrupted both sets of Randoms. "Your conversations are so stupid, they're actually funny!"

Nico, Grady, Tawni, and Zora glanced around the room, their eyes landing on me. Tawni was the one who stepped forward, resting her hands on the back of the couch.

"Cooper," she greeted, smiling sweetly. "Where's your girlfriend? Did she finally realize you're a pompous jerk and decide to break up with you?"

"Tawni, Tawni, Tawni." I offered her my best smile. "I know you're jealous of what Sonny and I have, but that's no reason to call me names. Admitting you have feelings for me is the first step to healing yourself."

I sat up straight when I felt two nails pinch my cheek. Tawni shrugged when I glared. "Sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were awake. We both know the only way I'd have feelings for you would be if you were dreaming."

"Yeah, because I dream about blonde witches every night," I scoffed. "Listen, I wouldn't be here right now if I didn't need you to do something for me."

"Why should we do anything for you?" Nico demanded.

"Because what I'm about to ask will help make Sonny's day better, and you're friends with Sonny…Aren't you?" I went on before four voices could confirm my statement. "Anyway, since the four of you know Sonny better than anyone, I was wondering…Do you have any ideas how she might like to spend her Valentine's Day?"

Many excited answers met my ears at once. With them jumbling together, it was hard to pick out individual voices (I thought I heard Zora say something about taking Sonny to a cemetery, which I wouldn't do on a normal day, much less the most romantic day of the year. Nico and Grady gave me suggestion after suggestion, everything from laser tagging to purchasing a chocolate candy as big as my head). Tawni was the only one who remained silent.

"I may be blonde, but I'm not stupid," she informed me, folding her arms over her chest. "What's the real reason you're coming to us for advice?"

"Did I not just explain that?" I asked, wondering if she was deaf. "I'm trying to give Sonny the ultimate Valentine's Day."

"You wouldn't be trying so hard unless you were getting something out of it," Tawni protested. "I mean, look at you, Chad. You actually came to us for advice about your girlfriend. There has to be some kind of hidden motive."

Nico, Grady, and Zora stopped their shouting, muttering in agreement with Tawni. I was a little bit surprised she took the role of leadership when Sonny wasn't around. I thought for sure Nico would take over, or maybe even Zora. But Tawni? Tawni, the same girl who couldn't stay away from a mirror for more than a five minute period? Tawni Hart, the girl who tried to get Sonny kicked off So Random the second she arrived in Hollywood?

"There is no secret motive," I said, shaking my head. "I just want Sonny to be happy."

When four sets of narrowed eyes met my response, I sighed.

"And maybe, if Sonny's happy enough, she'll agree to visit the set of that new show Mr. Condor told us about."

It wasn't my best plan in the world, but it was the only one I had. Since Mr. Condor brought up the soap opera, Sonny stayed adamant about keeping her job at So Random, refusing to travel even one hour away so we could check out the new set. I wanted to see the set, meet the director, and find out more details before making up my mind, but Mr. Condor made things perfectly clear: the company was only interested if they had Sonny and me.

So, with Sonny stamping her foot to the ground and refusing to budge, what choice did I have but to bribe her? I would celebrate the best Valentine's Day ever celebrated with her, showing her how much she meant to me-

-And hopefully, by the end of the night, she would be so caught up in my Chad Charm, she would have to agree that it was time to consider taking a huge leap in her career.

* * *

My fingers fumbled as I tried zipping my jacket. 'I'm going to get caught,' I thought over and over again. 'I'm going to get caught. Chad will figure out I lied to him about having a ride or mom will recognize my lying voice! I'm going to get caught!'

'Calm down, Sonny,' another voice ordered. 'You texted Chad already and he must have believed you or he would be here now, demanding you get in his car. If you can trick him, you can trick your mom, too. Just take a deep breath.'

'There's no time for deep breaths!' the first voice argued. 'I have to leave now while mom's still in her bedroom. That way, she won't see my face. I'll have a better chance of getting away with my lie.'

Good girls from Wisconsin weren't supposed to lie to their own mothers. I tried not to lie (everyone could tell when I did anyway. Stupid high-pitched voice!), but today, I really had no other option. I couldn't tell mom or Chad or even Tawni and Portlyn the truth: that I was walking to work so I could stop at the store along the way, picking up a pregnancy test.

If I didn't leave now, while mom was still in her room deciding on an outfit, she would eventually come out and I'd have to tell her to her face about my walking to the studio. She would see through my plan. She would look into my eyes and know with absolute certainty that I was hiding something from her. And knowing me, I would open my big mouth and tell her the truth.

No, I had to leave before it was too late. With a door between us, mom wouldn't look out the window, searching for Chad's car (thankfully, her bedroom didn't face the parking lot). She would take it for granted that Chad was picking me up. She would never guess I planned on walking.

"Mom!" I shouted, finally connecting the two sides of my jacket. "I'm leaving now!"

"Aren't you a bit early?" mom's voice called back, sounding muffled.

'She knows!' I thought, my hands shaking more than before. 'She knows I'm lying to her!'

"I asked Chad to pick me up earlier today," I explained, hoping and praying mom would buy the excuse. "I have a few last Valentine's Day decorations to set up!"

There was a short pause, and then-

"Sounds like fun!" mom finally said. "Have a good day, sweetie!"

She fell for it! She wasn't going to question me at all! I was free to leave the apartment and head to my secret destination without fearing getting caught! I could walk through the front door, skip over the parking lot, and go to the store without anyone suspecting anything!

Why was I still standing inside my apartment?

February in Hollywood was nothing like February in Wisconsin. Although my home town wasn't the coldest state to live, it was colder than Hollywood. The wind nipping my cheeks as I walked along the sidewalk went unnoticed as I rushed, nervously looking over my shoulder every few seconds. I could remember the last time I'd walked alone. It was night then and one lonely man asked for my autograph…

Instead of entering the main grocery store, I kept walking past its huge, welcoming doors. There were too many people inside who would know who I was. Randoms shoppers may know me, crazy fans, even the clerks since it was the store mom and I used every week when we needed food. I couldn't risk word getting back to mom about the product I planned on buying.

Really, I had no idea why I was buying one. Just because Mrs. Cooper, who worked as a nurse and knew more about medical issues than I ever wanted to learn, told me the biggest reason for a missed period was pregnancy didn't mean I was pregnant. My mood swings settled down the tiniest bit over the past week. At least they were to a point where I could control them instead of unleashing myself in front of the people I loved. Yes, I was still tired a lot of the time and I found myself throwing up at least once a day - sometimes as many as four or five times - but that didn't mean anything. People threw up and felt sleepy when they came down with the flu. Maybe that was my only problem.

'It could be the flu,' I consented, 'But that doesn't explain why I still haven't gotten my period.'

It didn't make sense. Mom and dad told me why I was an only child. They tried for ages before getting pregnant with me. How come, if they could barely conceive one child, I got pregnant after one night? Genetics didn't work that way. If the mom had problems conceiving, than her child did, too. Why was I the exception to the rule? Why couldn't I have tested positive for TB instead? I would rather have a life-threatening disease than become a mother while still in my teenage years.

A few blocks down from the main grocery store set another tiny shop I'd seen nearly every day on my way to work but had never stepped foot in. The place always looked deserted, which was exactly what I needed today. I didn't want one soul to recognize me. If they did, my only fear wasn't mom or Chad finding out. I could probably be fired from my job, too.

"Good morning, ma'am!" a voice greeted as I pushed open the squeaky doors. "Can I help you find anything?"

"No, thank you," I replied, smiling brightly at the cashier. "I think I'll just have a look around."

"Help yourself!" the man nodded, motioning for me come in.

It didn't take long to figure out why the store was empty. Dust covered most of the items available, the meat had green fungus growing off it, and spider webs hung in nearly every corner. I almost turned around to leave without grabbing the test - maybe I would luck out and no one at the other store would recognize me - but then I remembered pregnancy tests came in boxes anyway so it didn't matter how dusty they were.

Watching the cashier closely to make sure he wasn't spying on me (yes, he'd be the one ringing up my purchase, but it was still embarrassing if he saw me shopping for a test in the first place), I slipped down the aisle I wanted when I was sure he wasn't looking. There, I was met with a surprise:

There was more than one brand of home pregnancy tests. The shelf was full of them, each promising the most accurate results. Which one was I supposed to pick?

I ended up picking the best way I could think of: I closed my eyes, spun around three times, then grabbed whichever box my fingers connected with first. Sastified with my choice, I brought it to the cashier.

"Did you find everything alright?" the man asked.

He was a shorter, older man who had more than likely never seen an episode of So Random in his life. I let out a sigh of relief. There was no way he would tell anyone Sonny Munroe had came to his store to buy a pregnancy test.

"Will that be all for you today?" he wanted to know, slipping the test into a plastic bag. He gestured to a stack of cookies that looked as though they'd been on the counter for the past decade. "I'm having a sale on cookies. Buy two for only one dollar!"

"Thanks, but I really don't need any cookies." My nerves were kicking in again. If I didn't arrive at the studio soon, Chad would know something was up. "Could you just ring me up so I can get going? I'm kind of in a hurry."

"Sure thing, kiddo!"

The man told me my total, I fished the money from my purse, and then, I was home free. He didn't ask for my name. He didn't want to know if the test was for me or someone else. He left things alone, which was exactly why I chose his store.

My next question, I reminded myself as I left the creepy shop, was where to go next. Mom would already have left the apartment so she could go to work. I could bring the test back there and hide it either in my bedroom or the bathroom. I wasn't so sure either of those places were good though. Mom and I shared the same bathroom, so if she was cleaning it one day and found the box…And I had no idea if she checked my room every so often or not. What if she wandered in there to tidy things up found a pregnancy test?

'I guess,' I sighed, tucking the plastic bag into my purse so people I passed on the street couldn't see what was inside, 'I hide it at the studio then.'

It was easy enough to sneak past my cast mates. I paused outside the Prop House, listening for Tawni's voice before heading to our dressing room. The last thing I needed was to find her in there, answer her accusations of being late to the set, and all the while feel the weight of the pregnancy test in my purse. Luckily, it sounded like she, Zora, Nico, and Grady were all in the Prop House.

I couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to sneak into my dressing room.

"Got to hide the test," I muttered once I was inside, studying the room for a place Tawni would never look. "Got to hide the test. Maybe I could use my changing area? Tawni doesn't go in there. She hates my clothes."

Just as I held the box in my hands, heading toward the curtain on my side of the room-

"Nico Harris, Grady Mitchell, Zora Lancaster, Tawni Hart, and Sonny Munroe! Please report to the So Random stage to rehearse the Valentine's Day sketch. You have five minutes."

Panicking, knowing Marshall would be mad if I didn't show up with the rest of my rest cast mates by the time our five minutes were up, I threw the box into one of the drawers of my vanity. Hiding it behind my dressing curtain was a good idea, but it would take time to find a place that wasn't in plain sight in case I ever forgot and left the curtain open, time I didn't have. For now, the drawer would have to suffice.

As I ran out through Tawni's door (which was closer to the stage), I found myself sprawled painfully across the floor. Apparently I'd been sprinting a little bit too fast. I'd collided with another body.

"Sonny!" Chad, the owner of the body I'd hit, exclaimed, extending his hand toward me. "Are you alright?"

"I can't talk right now, Chad, I have to get to the stage and-,"

I stopped after I was standing again, noticing something red in Chad's hand. He shifted the item, whatever it was, slipping it behind his back.

"Aren't you supposed to be on stage?" Chad asked, using his free hand to push me in the right direction. "It was nice seeing you, Sonny, I'll make sure to save you a seat…at…"

His voice trailed off as I forced his arm from behind him. Out appeared a bouquet of beautiful red roses.

"Which girl bought you flowers this year?" I sighed.

It didn't seem to matter if I was dating Chad or not. Some crazy fan girl always thought she could get away with sending him presents, whether it was Suzy Carmichael, who sent Chad a letter every day asking for his hand in marriage, or some stranger who wanted to get too close on Valentine's Day.

I could remember my first Valentine's Day with Chad after we started dating. Needless to say, things didn't exactly run smoothly between us. One of the Meal or No Meal girls batted her eyes all day long, trying to get Chad's attention. I knew I shouldn't have been jealous - I was the one Chad greeted with a kiss - but I caught him staring at her one too many times for my liking. To show Chad I had other suitors too, I flirted with one of the Teen Gladiators. Chad retaliated, I plotted my revenge…the chain didn't break until that evening when we finally realized how stupid we were acting and decided to enjoy the last few hours of the holiday we had left.

Seeing Chad holding a bouquet of roses from yet another girl who fancied him brought back all the horrible memories from our first Valentine's Day. I was hoping this year would be different.

"What?" Chad asked, staring at the roses in his hand like he'd never seen them before. "Oh, these aren't from a girl."

I wrinkled my brow. "Your secret admirer is a boy this time?"

"Of course not!" Chad brought the flowers closer to me. "I bought them for you. I thought I would leave them in your dressing room while you were busy with the Randoms so you'd have a surprise once you got back, but…" He shrugged. "Happy Valentine's Day, Sonny."

Despite the fact that I had a pregnancy test waiting for me, along with four cast mates and one director who would probably bite my head off for being late on the set, I found my arms wrapping around Chad's neck on their own accord. So many things were wrong with my life - I couldn't stop thinking about the rape, I didn't know if I could handle vacationing to the new set Chad wanted to check out because I seemed to throw up every five minutes, my lie to mom, the fact that I might be carrying around a baby - and yet, somehow, Chad knew what to say to make me feel better. His roses, as small of a gesture as he may have considered them, reminded me why I was thankful to have him as my boyfriend.

For that moment, I was living the best Valentine's Day of my life.

* * *

Sonny's face shined in excitement as we walked across the fairground hand-in-hand. The moon shined dully above us, but there were enough lights around that we were easily able to see where we were going. It wasn't the most romantic setting in the world - people screamed all around us as they rode the different rides offered to them - but Sonny didn't seem to mind the loud atmosphere. If I wasn't mistaken, the joy from the crowd was soaking in through her pores, leaving Sonny even happier than she had been when I asked her to attend the one-night-only fair with me.

"There are so many things we could do!" Sonny told me, staying close to my side so she could make sure I heard her over the noise. "We could ride the Twisted Twister - look at how many times it twists!" She paused when a couple walked by, each carrying a corndog. "Or we could get dinner. Are you hungry or did you eat before picking me up? I could really go for some cotton candy." Something straight ahead made her eyes sparkle. "Ohh, we could go on the Tunnel of Love!"

I glanced nervously toward the ride she mentioned. Sure enough, there was a small water track set up in front of us, filled with huge mechanical swans just large enough to hold two people. A tunnel loomed above them.

"Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't do the Tunnel of Love," I stated.

"Why not?" Sonny raised her eyebrows suggestively. "Is Chad Dylan Cooper too afraid to be totally alone with his girlfriend for five whole minutes?"

"No. Chad Dylan Cooper and swans don't mix."

Without questioning the affair further, Sonny nodded toward Twisted Twister, which had more screaming pedestrians than any other attraction. "Fine. If we can't go on the Tunnel of Love, why don't we try Twisted Twister?"

The scoff left my lips before I had a chance to stop it.

"You want to start off the night with Twisted Twister?" I repeated. "Maybe we should start with something a little easier. How about the Pony Express?"

A group of children gathered around the tiny carousal I pointed to, waiting for their turn to climb aboard the miniature horses. One little girl who couldn't have been older than four wailed, crying for her mommy because, in her words, the horsies were moving too fast.

"Ok, Chad," Sonny agreed, pushing me toward the Pony Express. "You can warm up on that while I handle the big kid rides!"

I grabbed her arm before she could take two steps.

"You think you can tackle Twisted Twister right now, right?" I asked, going on when she nodded. "I think you're going to lose your cookies starting out with something so wild. What do you say we make things interesting?"

Her attention sparked, Sonny folded her arms over her chest coolly, giving me a smile that clearly said, 'You're on!' "What do you have in mind?"

"Let's make a bet. If you make it through Twisted Twister without losing your cool, then I'll stop bugging you about the job offer Mr. Condor told us about. If you freak out on Twisted Twister though, meaning you either begin crying or barfing, we check out the set."

My original plan was to woo Sonny into agreeing to visit what would hopefully become our new stage, but the night was passing by too quickly. It would be over soon and my window of opportunity would pass. If I wanted her to go with me, I needed to think of a better idea. Why not make a bet?

Sonny thought over my offer, studying the roller coaster one last time, her brown eyes following one of the trains. Finally, she looked at me again, nodding firmly.

"You have yourself a bet, Cooper," she said, holding out her hand.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Munroe," I replied, slipping my palm into hers.

The wait for Twisted Twister promised to last at least an hour. Sonny and I passed the time by taunting each other, trying to psyche the other out for the upcoming experience. I did everything I could think of to scare her. I reminded her that most rides at these fairs were dangerous because they weren't kept up on their maintenance. I stood with her back pressed against my chest, resting my head on her shoulder while we watched one train fly by, trying to convince her someone had just died of a heart attack. No matter what I said, Sonny had a retort ready, a few of them making me reconsider hitting Twisted Twister right off the bat.

One hour and twenty minutes later, Sonny and I sat in the front seat of our train, buckling the seatbelt across our waists. There was a defiant glint in Sonny's eyes as she smirked at me.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" she asked.

"Are you sure YOU'RE ready for this?" I shot back, patting her stomach. "You're not feeling queasy already, are you, Sonny? It's not too late to end the bet, you know. We could call it off right now and call me the winner."

"You're acting pretty confident for someone who's about to lose!"

"At least I can act!"

"Can you, Chad? Can you real-,"

The train lurched forward, cutting off Sonny's line as she faltered, clutching my arm tightly. I smiled. This bet was going to be easier than I thought.

Twisted Twister was definitely the wrong ride to start with. It wasn't long before I discovered whoever named the coaster hadn't been kidding when they chose the word 'twisted'. I lost count of how many twists there were (I reached twenty before my head was shaken around enough that my headache made me forget to count), and by the time we were halfway through, I wanted to throw up myself. But Chad Dylan Cooper, the greatest actor of his generation, did NOT throw up in public places, no matter how sick he felt.

Sonny screamed when the ride began, grew quiet toward the end, and her fingers gently slipped from my arm throughout the course. By the time the train reentered the station, I turned to her, ready to congratulate her on winning the bet-

-It wasn't until that moment that I noticed how green Sonny's face had turned. I hurried to unfasten our seatbelt, grabbing her hand so I could get her off the ride before anything happened…

I was too late. Sonny ducked her head down and the next thing I knew, people waiting to board Twisted Twister were pulling cameras from their pockets, snapping pictures of my sick fiancée.

I wanted to win the bet, but winning wasn't worth the look of humiliation on Sonny's face.

* * *

I couldn't believe I actually got sick on Twisted Twister. I was the ultimate thrill seeker. I could ride any roller coaster I wanted to, no matter how fast it went, how high it threw me into the air, how many times it flipped me upside down…When I lived in Wisconsin, Lucy and I challenged each other to ride the most horrible attractions we could think of. I never got sick. Well, unless you counted that one time Lucy surprised me with an amusement park visit after I'd eaten a huge dinner.

But tonight, I hadn't consumed a huge dinner before leaving for the fair. There was no reason I should have thrown up like that.

"So," Chad asked, trying his best to sound nonchalant. "Are you ready to call it a night?"

After my 'accident', Chad brought me away from the crowd, finding a quiet place beside the bathroom. He made me sit down (even though there wasn't a bench in sight, which meant my only option was a nice pile of grass). Then, he rushed off to buy me a bottle of water, which he demanded I devour before trying to stand again. Currently, he hovered above me, wringing his hands together as he watched the people passing by, making sure none of them stopped to stare.

"We can head home in a few minutes," I replied, tugging on Chad's pants. "Let's rest for a minute first."

"No, no." Chad shook his head violently. "I'm not sitting down here. The dirt is so…dirty."

"Well, I'm not leaving until you join me down here. So, you have your choice: Stand there all night long or sit down and go home in ten minutes."

Slowly, Chad sank down beside me. I could tell how nervous he was to be sitting on the ground - his eyes swept around, making sure no one was paying him any attention, searching for bugs crawling over his body, wiping dirt from his shoe - but he stopped when I leaned against him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Thanks for bringing me here tonight," I said. "I had fun."

"Fun?" Chad repeated. "How could you have had fun? You threw up all over the coaster and-,"

"Chad." He shut up when I said his name. "I didn't have fun because of what happened tonight. I had fun because I got to spend another Valentine's Day with you."

"That's understandable. I am Chad Dylan Cooper, after all."

With my nausea finally subsiding (the coolness from the water helped), I paused, wanting to remember everything about this moment. The soft feeling of Chad's body against mine. The moon hiding in the dark skies above our heads. The multi-colored lights that flashed around us. Everything was so beautiful, so…perfect.

In such a peaceful setting, it was easy to forget about my problems. I felt like I was just Sonny Munroe, the girl having the time of her life in Hollywood with TV's Chad Dylan Cooper. I didn't have a worry in the world. The rape never happened, I didn't have to worry about maybe being pregnant. All I had to do was enjoy the end of my perfect Valentine's Day.

"About that bet we made," Chad spoke up. "You don't really have to visit the new set if you don't want to. I mean, it would be great if we went, but I'm not going to make you. It's not like you can control when you get sick."

"A bet's a bet," I protested. "I promised I'd go to the set with you and I'm not going back on my word. As long as you understand I'm only going to check it out. I'm not agreeing right now to take the job."

Wrapping his arm around my shoulder, Chad pulled me closer to him. "You know I love you, right, Munroe?"

My only answer was to face Chad, gently pressing my lips to his. Yep…Valentine's Day was truly one of my favorite holidays.


	7. All the Days of Our Lives

Thank you to Girltech101 for reviewing! You are awesome. Soooooo not even kidding.

I know this chapter is shorter than most, but I needed the events that happen to use them later in the story.

Once again, please review if you're reading. Please?

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

Chapter Six

All the Days of Our Lives

_February 25_

"Remember," Chad said, cutting his car's engine after shifting it into park, "We aren't auditioning for some stupid comedy show this time. You can't go out there acting all…funny."

"Right," I agreed, unfastening my seatbelt. "Because soap operas never have funny characters around to relieve the tension."

"Sonny." There was a loud _click_ as Chad locked the doors, keeping me from exiting the vehicle. "I really want this job. Don't blow it for me."

Maybe I was irritable because I'd been stuck in a car for an hour with no one but Chad for company. Maybe my mood swings were kicking in again. Maybe I just really, really needed to use the bathroom and was upset because no matter how many times I asked Chad to stop, he kept driving, telling me I could hold it.

Whatever my reasoning behind it was, I found my anger at Chad boiling over as I turned to face him.

"Don't blow it for you?" I repeated his latest statement. "Don't blow it for _you_? I thought this job would be a chance for us to work together. I wasn't aware you were planning on auditioning alone."

"You know what I meant, Sonny. Don't blow it for _us_."

Except, deep down, I knew Chad only changed from 'me' to 'us' because I brought it up. He could care less if I got the job or not. All he cared about was Chad Dylan Cooper and being able to leave the Falls behind for a gig that paid more than any salary Mr. Condor ever offered. I was only with him because our maybe new director wanted Chad and I to star on the show together. If they'd asked for Chad and Portlyn instead, he would have left me behind at Condor while he and Port drove an hour away to check out the new set.

One question still lingered in the back of my mind, an inquiry that left me pondering why I agreed to come out here with Chad in the first place: Why did they want me on the show? Why would they want me when there were so many other actresses who had been in show business much longer than me and would look prettier playing Chad's girlfriend? How come they chose my name over all the others?

'Because,' a small voice reminded me. 'You're Chad's fiancée.'

I knew that was part of the reason the network wanted Chad and I to star alongside each other. They figured if we were such a big hit with our fans now that everyone knew we were engaged, a show written about our relationship would bring viewers in. But was that the only reason I was offered the job? Chad, of course, deserved to work on a soap opera. He was a great actor, gorgeous, too big-headed sometimes but a hit among tweens nonetheless. What about me? Had my acting gotten nearly as good as Chad's or was I only checking out this new set because of my engagement to Chad Dylan Cooper?

"Sonny?" Chad broke into my thoughts. "Are you feeling alright? You look a little pale."

"I feel fine," I replied, even though I felt like I was going to burst if I didn't find a bathroom soon. "I just want you to remember that we're here to check things out. I never said I was going to take the job."

Leaning back in his seat, Chad allowed his sapphire eyes to meet mine. I knew by his serious expression what he was going to say. "Sonny, no one said you had to take the job. We can both continue working at Condor for the rest of our lives, you know."

"I never said I wanted to work there the rest of my-,"

"I can see it now!" Chad cut me off. "We'll be ninety years old and still performing on shows meant for tweens! Except Mackenzie won't be quite as cool as he is now. It'll be kind of hard to foil my evil half-brother's plots to take over my waterfall when I'm so old I can barely walk."

"Chad, don't be silly, I-,"

"Imagine what So Random will be like! You, Tawni, Nico, Grady, and Zora can dress up so you look like your teen selves! You're right, Sonny, we should head back now without even checking anything out here. Why would we want to switch studios?"

Pretending like he was going to restart the car, I reached for Chad's hand before he could really put the key in the ignition. He turned to me, a smug smile on his lips.

"I never said I wanted to work at Condor for the rest of my life," I said firmly. "I'm just not sure I'm ready to leave it now. Maybe we could work there for a few more years and work our way to a soap opera slowly. We could take jobs on other smaller projects, like agreeing to act in a movie or commercial! Or we could-,"

"Check out this set like you promised and see what we think?" Chad suggested hopefully.

I nodded grimly. It was too late to go back on my word. I'd promised to visit the new set with Chad and now that we were here, it would be stupid to turn around and head home without seeing exactly what we'd be getting ourselves into if we agreed to work here. There was no point sitting around Chad's car, fighting about whether or not we should take the new roles - not until after we knew what the new roles were, anyway.

And so, Chad and I climbed out of the vehicle, joined our hands together, and began walking across the parking lot-

-Only to be met by hundreds of flashing cameras, microphones being shoved into our faces, and a lady who shouted above the other voices, trying to make her way toward us, saying something about being a director.

Yep…Why wouldn't I want to work somewhere I got mobbed just trying to enter the studio?

* * *

"Sorry about what happened out there. I warned everyone the two of you were dropping by today and asked them to treat you like two regular people, but you know how crazy everyone gets over Channy. I mean, you know even better than I do how crazy people get because you are Channy and you have to deal with the fans on a regular biases. Still, you'd think professionals would know better than to attack you like that…"

'Great,' I thought to myself, rolling my eyes. 'The first person we meet enjoys talking just as much as Sonny.'

After pushing us through the crowd, the lady sitting before Sonny and I had taken us to her office (at least, I figured it must be her office since she sat behind a desk bearing a nameplate reading Shayanna DelMingo). Sonny and I sat across from the brown haired employee, trying to figure out exactly who she was supposed to be.

"Anyway, in case you didn't already know," she said, motioning toward her nameplate, "My name is Shayanna DelMingo and I'm the owner of DelMingo Studios. If you two are to take the roles I'm offering, which I hope you do, I'll be your new boss."

Shayanna was going to be our new Mr. Condor? How could that be true? With her long hair (obviously flaunting extensions), exotic fingernails (each painted a different and bright, almost neon, color), tattoo (a skull that rested along her neck), and many piercings all over her body, she looked more like a girl trying to get into beauty school than someone capable of running an entire studio.

Her fingers flew across a piece of paper faster than I'd ever seen anyone write. Finally, Shayanna glanced up, realizing, maybe for the first time, that she had guests with her.

"So…Have either of you decided if you'll be joining the DelMingo team?" she asked, looking between Sonny and me. When neither of us answered, she went on. "Maybe I should tell you a little bit more about the show before you make up your minds, huh?"

Reaching into her desk, she extracted two huge scripts. After handing one of them to Sonny, she extended the other toward me.

"The show is called All the General Days of Our Lives," she began explaining. "Sonny, you'll be playing yourself. What do I mean by that? I'll tell you what I mean! Your character will be named Sonny Munroe. Just like you, she's a small town girl from…what state are you from, hon?"

"Wisconsin," Sonny supplied.

"There you go! Sonny's a small town girl from Wisconsin who moved to Hollywood after her family wasted all their money on lottery tickets! Her parents thought if they moved to Hollywood, Sonny might be able to get a job working on some show, so while they started looking for a talent scout, Sonny met Chad on the street one day and -," Shayanna paused, sighing contently. "It was love at first sight!"

I could tell by the glare Sonny sent my direction: so far, she didn't like what she was hearing.

"What about my character, Shay - I mean, Miss DelMingo?" I said quickly, wondering if the script writers had managed to screw up CDC, too.

"Oh, there's no need to be formal with me. I'll call you Chad, you call me Shayanna. Or you could just plain call me if you wanted to!" Shayanna winked, Sonny looked ready to pounce, and I cleared my throat nervously, trying to ease the tension. "No, but seriously. You'd be playing Chad Dylan Cooper, the star of Mackenzie Falls who not only fell in love with a nobody named Sonny Munroe but also got her her first job on So Random."

"What?" Sonny protested. "That's not what happened at all! I was hired because Mr. Condor saw the videos my best friend and I posted online and-,"

"And then," Shayanna pressed on, ignoring Sonny, "All the General Days of Our Lives begins when Chad gets an offer to film this amazing movie! Of course, Sonny doesn't want him to leave and she doesn't have the talent to play even the smallest roll in the movie (remember, she only has a job in the first place thanks to Chad, which has saved her family from total bankruptcy), so what does Chad do? He invites her to tag along anyway! Sonny gives up her job at So Random to follow Chad to his new set, which is where the drama begins."

"Oh, so I'm not even an actress in your show?" Sonny demanded, flipping through her script. "I'm just Chad's little puppy that follows him everywhere, right?"

"Right!" Shayanna agreed. "We had to make a few changes to the real story, Sonny. I mean, everyone knows that you got the job on So Random without Chad's help and the two of you started dating when you began obsessing over the Falls and Chad finally asked you out-,"

"I never obsessed over the Falls!" Sonny cut in. "Do our fans really think that's how we started our relationship?"

"Of course that's what the fans think! You never tell them the truth. You always feed them a fake story. Always," Shayanna answered breezily. "Now, as I was saying, we just made a few minor changes between your lives and your characters to make the show more interesting. For instance, you won't start out as an engaged couple." Reaching across her desk, Shayanna pulled the ring I'd bought Sonny from her left hand. "Chad, you'll be asking Sonny to marry you all over again, only this time, it won't happen until probably season two because your first season will be full of your character adjusting to his life on the set of the movie, you flirting with other girls, Sonny flirting with other guys, maybe one set of your parents being killed in a car accident."

Sonny climbed to her feet, grabbing her engagement ring from Shayanna, who was spinning it on the surface of her desk. I knew something bad was about to happen. Sonny had the same glower in her eyes she wore whenever she was about to start yelling at me.

"Look, I don't know who you think you are, but you have no right to write a phony script like this and expect Chad and - Hey!"

"Could you excuse us for a moment, Shayanna?" I asked, springing to my feet as well, covering Sonny's mouth.

"Absolutely!" Shayanna agreed. "You kids take as long as you need to talk things over. If you're interested in accepting your roles, I'll take you on a tour of the studio once you're done talking!"

I forced Sonny into the hallway, making sure the door closed behind us before uncovering her lips. She was angry alright, although if it was at me or Shayanna I couldn't be sure.

"I am not taking this job," she informed me.

"Everybody spruces things up for TV," I tried telling her. "It's just a tactic people in Hollywood use to keep fans interested in their shows."

"Is it, Chad? Is it really?" Sonny folded her arms over her chest. "If that's true, how come they didn't change your character at all?"

'Because I'm perfect!' was the first thought to cross my mind. I bit it back, knowing that answer would only make Sonny more upset.

"Sonny, this could be the opportunity of a lifetime!" I said instead. "Think of the money we'll get if we take these roles! Not only that, but we'll be even more famous than we are already-,"

"At what price? They want me to act like some actress wanna-be who can't do anything without your help. The world will see me as…They'll see me as…" Sonny's hands waved in the air as she tried to think of the right words. "They'll see me as an idiot, Chad. Is that how you want the world to see your fiancée?"

I fell silent. Honestly, I didn't see why Sonny was so upset. Who cared if Shayanna turned the Sonny on the show into an idiot? Fans weren't stupid. They would understand Sonny was only acting, that in real life she had plenty of talent. How could she play the role of a talent-less freak if she didn't have talent?

Sonny and I weren't on the same page. Actually, it seemed like we were never on the same page anymore. Sure, the road had been rough for us since she arrived in Hollywood - flirting to hide our true feelings, fighting every second of every day, not getting together until Portlyn and Tawni showed us how stupid we were acting - but at least we were able to agree on enough to pull off our relationship. What was happening between us? I wanted to leave Condor and take a new role. She didn't. I was fine with them changing a few things about my life (it was for a TV show after all. How many of them told the truth anyway?). She wasn't.

How were we going to make things work when one of us was ready to spread his wings and fly while the other kept her feet on the ground?

"Listen," Sonny sighed, reaching the conclusion that I wasn't going to answer her last question. "I'm not taking this job. You're free to do whatever you want, Chad…With or without me."

I watched as Sonny walked away. Part of me wanted to shout after her. My feet begged me to chase her. But instead of doing either, I told myself I had a lifetime to make up with Sonny. Shayanna was waiting for me now and if I didn't go back to her, I would lose out on any chance I had of taking the job she offered me.

And, trust me, I wanted the job.

Shayanna still sat behind her desk when I reentered the room, her eyes focused on the paper her pen flew across. She glanced up when she heard her door opening, smiled at me, then frowned when she saw Sonny wasn't following.

"What happened to Miss Munroe?" she asked, chewing on the top of her pen. "Did I say something to offend her? Is she mad at me? I can have the writers take another look at her character if it's a huge problem, you know. Maybe they could make her the greatest actress instead of having it be Chad?"

"No, no, no," I protested, shaking my head. "Sonny is…Sonny's fine with her character. She just had to step out for a minute."

"Good. For a second, I thought you were going to turn me down!" Shayanna placed a stack of papers in front of me. "So, there's your contract. Sign along the dotted line and we'll be in business!"

"What about Sonny?"

"Did she say she would take the job?"

It was the moment of truth: lie and take the job or leave with Sonny and stay at Condor until she decided it was time to move on.

"Chad?" Shayanna prompted. "What's wrong? Do you and Sonny need more time to make your decision? Has she not given her final okay?"

"We've made our decision," I answered truthfully. "It's just…Does Sonny actually have to sign the contract or is there some way I could do it for her?"

"Ah, you see, that's the beauty of the contract," Shayanna explained, tapping the papers with her fingers. "Sonny doesn't have to sign it at all! See, in the small print, it goes through all the average stuff, you know all about it, I'm sure. You and Sonny will work for me, you'll work on the show for at least a year, your wage is listed…Everything's there. But because of the way things are worded, only one person needs to leave their signature!"

Without further ado, my fingers trembling as I did it, I signed my name along the dotted line Shayanna indicated.

Sonny and I were officially members of the All the Days of Our Lives cast.


	8. Intervention

Hello again! Are you ready for another update? I hope so because I have one for you!

Ohh, and on a special note, I got my first job! My first day of work is in May. Wish me luck!

This chapter would be Chad's birthday and Sonny's ninth week of pregnancy. Signs for nine weeks: Craving and you can feel some movement (for Sonny, the cheese mentioned later in this chapter is being served because of her cravings).

REVIEW PLEASE!

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

* * *

Chapter Seven

Intervention

_March 8_

For the first time in history, the entire Mackenzie Falls and So Random cast gathered around one commissary table. They weren't fighting with each other. They weren't holding hands, singing about how great friendship was, either. Every eye focused on the table's centerpiece:

A take-home pregnancy test.

"Where - Where did you say you found it, Tawn?" Portlyn asked, breaking the code of silence

"In my dressing room," Tawni replied. "I mean, _I'm_ not the one who put it in there. I found it in Sonny's vanity."

"Why were you going through her things in the first place?" Ferguson spoke up. "At the Falls, we respect each other's property."

The actor sat up straighter in his chair as though that would somehow help him prove his point. Tawni opened her mouth to explain herself, but instead of her voice filling the air-

"Maybe Tawni's lying!" Grady accused.

Chastity and Marta, who were sitting on either side of Grady, covered their mouths in shock, sending glares in Tawni's direction. The Random, looking quite pleased with himself for causing such a reaction from the two girls, copied their actions. If Tawni had been sitting closer to her blonde cast mate, she would have stomped on his toes.

"He's right!" Skylar jumped in, nodding in Grady's direction. "Tawni must be revealing the truth by saying she found the pregnancy test when it's really hers!"

"Revealing the truth?" Marta repeated, her brow furrowing. "Oh, you mean she must be covering the truth!"

"That's what I said!" Skylar confirmed.

Sighing in agitation, Tawni pressed her hands flat against the table. There was only one way she was going to convince the clueless members of the Falls (and Grady, apparently) that the test really wasn't hers. Pushing her chair back, she climbed to her feet, turned to the side, and sucked in as much air as she could, making her stomach smaller than ever.

"Do I look pregnant?" she asked.

Skylar raised his hand like he wanted to answer the question, but Chastity, who was sitting beside him, lowered it before he could say a word. Across the room, several cat-calls sounded from the Teen Gladiators table.

"See?" Tawni stated proudly, striking a pose. "The Gladiators don't think I look pregnant!"

"Actually, they cheer at anything that looks even halfway female," Portlyn explained, reaching for Tawni's arm and forcing her back into her chair. "Now they're doing it for Brenda, and she's at least 95 years old."

Sure enough, as Brenda the lunch lady padded her way through the room, her gray hair turning whiter and whiter every day, the Teen Gladiators whooped and hollered, just as they'd done moments ago for Tawni.

"Oh." Tawni's bottom lip stuck out. "Well, in that case, you Gladiators are a bunch of pigs!"

"If you're done insulting other casts," Nico said from the side of Portlyn Tawni wasn't sitting on, "Can we get back to the matter at hand? Why would Sonny have a pregnancy test? And why would she keep it a secret?"

"I have a few theories about that."

Skylar and Ferguson glanced around the room, trying to figure out where the voice came from. Finally, they looked down. Zora sat between the two male actors, somehow looking even smaller than usual. Leaning forward, she grabbed the box the pregnancy test was in, tossed it into the air, and, after catching it, placed a finger on her chin.

"Just as I suspected," she stated. "This box has never been opened."

"Why does that matter?" Marta scoffed.

"Why does that matter?" Zora echoed, the expression on her face menacing enough to cause Skylar, Chastity, and even Grady to duck in fear. "Why does it matter? This test has never been used! Whoever bought it, whether it was Sonny or Tawni, hasn't tested themselves yet."

"I get it!" Portlyn said before Marta could argue. "If Sonny bought the test originally thinking she was pregnant, maybe she found out she's not and that's why she never used it!"

Tawni pulled a plastic bag from her purse. It was the bag she'd found the test in when accidentally stumbling upon the product currently resting in Zora's palms. After digging inside for a few moments, she extracted a white piece of paper.

"I found the receipt, too," she informed her tablemates. "It says the test was purchased on Valentine's Day."

"I don't know much about being pregnant," Ferguson said, "But it's been almost a month since that test was bought. Wouldn't the girl have used it by now if she really believed she was having a baby?"

"So Sonny must not be pregnant!"

A happy Grady sprang from the table. He was down again when Chastity and Marta grabbed an arm each, dragging him back to his chair.

"We can't reach that conclusion yet," Zora explained, shaking her head. "There has to be a reason Sonny bought a pregnancy test in the first place. Does anyone have any suggestions?"

A silence fell over the nine actors. Each of them knew what they wanted the answer to be: Sonny had a short pregnancy scare and later found out she had nothing to worry about. What would happen if that wasn't the true outcome though? What if Sonny got the test, decided to visit a doctor instead, and found out she was carrying a baby? Eventually, she would begin showing. Would Mr. Condor allow her to keep her job? What would happen to So Random? Did Chad know anything about the maybe baby? Was he planning on leaving the Falls in order to play the role of a father?

"Well, I think it would be wonderful if Chad and Sonny had a baby!" Chastity said, breaking into everyone's thoughts. "Can you imagine it, Marta? We'd get to be aunts!"

"I could teach the baby nothing that I know!" Skylar declared proudly.

"You have that backwards," the entire table told him in unison.

"I could teach the baby everything that I know!" Skylar corrected himself.

"Do you think," Grady spoke up, his face reddening as a huge grin overtook him, "Sonny and Chad would name their baby after me?"

"Wait a minute!" Nico cried, throwing his arms into the air as the others began opening their mouths, wanting to suggest baby names as well. "We need to decide what to do next time we see Chad and Sonny, guys! Should we confront them about the pregnancy test or let them come to us?"

"We don't have to decide that," Chastity chastised. "Chad's the one who makes all the final decisions!"

She, Marta, Ferguson, and Skylar turned their attention to the head of the table like they expected to find Chad sitting there. Each Mackenzie Falls actor faltered upon remembering Chad wasn't there to tell them what to do. They were at a secret meeting, one held only after making sure Sonny and Chad had other plans for lunch and wouldn't be stopping by the commissary.

Without Chad there to boss them around, the four remaining co-stars exchanged looks, each of them shrugging in turn. They were lost without their leader.

"Since Tawni found the test while Sonny and Chad were off visiting DelMingo Studio, I think we should have it put it back exactly where she found it," Portlyn took charge, snatching the pregnancy test from Zora and slipping it back inside the plastic bag. "They haven't noticed its absence yet and it's been two weeks already, right? Maybe we should just let the two of them tell us their big news - IF they have any big news, I mean."

"Big news about what?"

Nine pairs of hands scrambled, all reaching for the plastic bag, each desperate to get it behind their backs or under the table before the new arrival (namely, Chad Dylan Cooper) could see through the thin material. Sensing right away that something was up, Chad watched with sparked interest as somehow, the bag slipped through all ninety fingers-

-Flew into the air…

-And landed peacefully in his open palm.

"Don't open that!" Zora shouted, nearly causing Chad to drop the package.

"Why not?" the tween heart-throb demanded, cautiously holding the bag away from his body. It was the perfect chance for someone to take it…but everyone was too scared to budge. "Did you Randoms rig this thing to throw pie in my face or something?"

"Of course they didn't!" Portlyn stood up for the rival cast. "Aren't you supposed to be having lunch with Sonny right now?"

"Plans changed," Chad replied simply. "So, it is safe to open this thing, right?"

"Yes, but-,"

That was all the prompting Chad needed. He reached into the plastic bag…Everyone sitting around the table cringed…Then, as Chad brought the pregnancy test closer to his face, not believing he was reading it right, Chastity leaped from her chair, ran full-speed toward her leader, and threw herself into his arms, hugging his neck while jumping and down.

"Congratulations, Chad!" she squealed, refusing to relinquish her embrace.

"Congratulations for what?" Chad asked, barely able to speak due to Chastity's hands tightening around his throat. "You do remember that talk we had about the birds and the bees, don't you? I'm a boy. It's impossible for me to have a baby."

"I wouldn't say impossible," a new voice protested. "Highly unlikely, yes, but wasn't there some guy a few years ago who got pregnant? Speaking of him, why are we talking about men having babies anyway?"

Chastity left Chad for his fiancée, screaming just as loud (if not louder) in Sonny's ear. The brunette, who was always up for a good hug when the person giving it wasn't trying to break her eardrums, returned the gesture nervously. She glanced at Chad, silently asking why a member of his cast clung to her tighter than a flea to a dog-

-And that was when she spotted the pregnancy test.

If Chastity hadn't been holding her, Sonny would have fallen to the floor, losing consciousness in a matter of seconds.

* * *

My eighteenth birthday party was turning out better than I'd imagined. Well, not really better since it was perfect in my head, but you know what I mean. Presents stacked one on top of another, almost touching the ceiling. Loud music blared from the speakers, shaking the entire building. Celebrities danced, stopping by every once in awhile to wish me a happy birthday. My cake was life-size.

The only thing missing was Sonny.

Truthfully, I hadn't seen Sonny since the incident earlier when Chastity congratulated the two of us on becoming parents. Sonny had laughed - that high-pitched laugh she gave off whenever she felt nervous - and, after Tawni claimed to have found the pregnancy test in Sonny's vanity, she waved off the idea quickly.

"Okay, so maybe it was on my side of the dressing room," she admitted, "But I didn't buy it for myself. I'm holding it for a friend! She has a really strict mother who would kill her if she knew there was a chance she may be pregnant, so I thought I'd help her out."

It sounded like a plausible story to me. For some reason, Sonny studied me while she spoke, almost like she was waiting for me to disagree, dreading the moment I contradicted her words. What reason did I have to argue? If she said she was holding the test for a friend, then fine, I believed she was holding the test for a friend. If it was in her room for some other reason and she was using her friend as an excuse, then that was alright, too. I knew she hadn't bought it for her benefit.

'_Unless,' _that annoying voice in the back of my mind reminded me, _'She's cheated on you.'_

There was one thing I couldn't deny: Sonny wasn't the same Sonny I'd asked out. She hadn't acted like her old self since…since…

Well, Sonny started acting different the night of her interview with Tina Snippet, when she came home wrapped in a blanket and so afraid that she actually jumped when I touched her. Could something have happened that night, something that led Sonny to buy the pregnancy test our casts found?

If Sonny was pregnant, it would explain a lot. Like why she went through moods faster than most people changed their clothes. Or it could be the reason she rushed to a bathroom too many times during the day. And it could explain why she was tired all the time. It could even be the true excuse behind her refusing to leave Condor and work at DelMingo.

'_Stop!' _I punished myself, shaking my head vigorously. _'Sonny isn't pregnant! She would have told you if she was. Besides, like you told Mrs. Munroe: You haven't done any of the steps necessary to have a baby.'_

'_Technically, she doesn't need you to have a baby,' _my second voice pointed out. _'Any guy could do the job.'_

Sonny wouldn't do that to me. She got jealous when I kissed Lucy over Thanksgiving break. If she was so caught up in my Chad Charm that she couldn't stand the thought of my kissing anyone else, why would she put our entire relationship on the line by sleeping with someone who wasn't me?

'_Maybe,' _the tiny voice added, growing stronger with every suggestion it gave, _'She slept with someone to get revenge for my kiss with Lucy.'_

"Mr. Cooper!" a gruff voice called, breaking my train of thought. "There are two guys over here who claim they were invited to your party!"

Exactly what I needed: a distraction. Something that would let me forget about Sonny for two seconds. Once I was able to escape her for a few minutes, to totally allow the Wisconsinite to leave my mind, the next time she came knocking I wouldn't be so stupid. I would realize right away how dumb I was acting, accusing her of cheating on me. Sonny was too…Sonny to do anything like that.

Approaching one of my many security guards, who were all hired to make sure no one snuck into my party or tried to assassinate me whist enjoying their evening, I was surprised to see Nico and Grady standing beside him. They waved to me (would they ever learn how un-cool that was?), grinning widely.

"There he is!" Grady told the security guard, pointing at me with his rotund finger. "Chad will tell you we were supposed to be invited tonight!"

"Actually, I never did send either of you invites," I informed the boys, watching their smiles melt. "Hey, have either of you guys seen Sonny?"

I knew I was in trouble. Grady opened his mouth, ready to answer my question. Nico elbowed him, raising his eyebrows in some secret form of communication. Someday, after All the Days of Our Lives brought me to my million fans, I was going to outlaw secret forms of communication. They just weren't fair to anyone who didn't speak the same version.

"We know where Sonny is," Nico said. "We'd be happy to take you to her, Chad."

"Great! Let me grab my keys-,"

"As long as you promise to let us into your party when we get back," Nico interrupted.

They were making me choose between my two greatest loves: Sonny Munroe and my desire to keep geeks away from celebrating my birthday. Which was more important? Figuring out where my girlfriend was hiding or spending the rest of my evening Nico and Grady free?

'_It's my birthday. I should be able to spend one night without the Randoms!' _I told myself, turning my back on the two best friends.

'_What if Sonny's with someone else?' _My feet slowed as the new thought hit me. _'Maybe she skipped out on your party because she thought you would invite so many guests, you wouldn't notice her absence. What if she's out with some other guy right now?'_

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but for Nico and Grady, it granted them access to a party they otherwise would never have witnessed. Just because they were inside, mingling with my guests, didn't mean I had to waste my time with them. They could flirt with girls way out of their league without my help. It would be more than easy to pretend the two of them didn't exist, which I would begin doing as soon as we came back to my party.

Running through the ballroom, I grabbed the jacket I'd hung up upon my arrival, making sure the keys to my car were snuggled deep within the pocket. Meeting up with Nico and Grady again, who strutted around like they were given the noblest job ever by leading Chad Dylan Cooper to his Lady in Waiting, the three of us left the booming building behind.

I was spending my eighteenth birthday, the birthday all kids looked forward to, with two Randoms, conducting a wild goose chase to find my girlfriend.

When had my life turned into such a joke?

* * *

"What do you mean you might be pregnant?"

I wasn't ready for this conversation. I wasn't ready to be sitting in Portlyn's bedroom, facing her and Tawni while a pregnancy test - _my _pregnancy test - lingered between us, hidden inside a plastic bag. I wasn't ready to talk about a topic that was coming up too many years ahead of its time.

What choice did I have? Tawni went snooping through our dressing room, found the test ("Why were you going through my stuff in the first place?" I asked Tawni, who immediately glanced at Portlyn like the Falls actress would answer for her. "I wasn't going through your stuff," she protested. "I was getting rid of your stuff since you were gone. I wanted to Tawni-ize the room!"), and instead of keeping it to herself, Tawni showed the test to everyone.

EVERYONE! I thought maybe, when dealing with something as serious as a pregnancy test, my cast mates and Chad's would know better than to flaunt it in the middle of lunchtime. What if somebody walked by their table and saw the item resting between the teens? What if someone sitting at a nearby table overheard what they were talking about? Didn't they realize if Mr. Condor found out one of his employees might be pregnant, he would threaten to fire whoever it was? I didn't want to lose my job!

Chad believed me when I told him I was keeping the test for a friend. Or, if he didn't believe me, he decided to drop the subject anyway. Tawni and Portlyn weren't so easy. They followed me out of the commissary, begging to know the real reason behind the test. The only way I could get them to shut up was to promise I would tell them later, as long as we met at one of their houses. The last thing I needed was for mom to overhear us talking in my room. Thus, Portlyn ordered Tawni and I to come over to her house at exactly seven o'clock. That way, we would finish talking in time to hit the end of Chad's birthday party.

By 7:02, our girl gathering turned from friendly greetings to deathly silence after I revealed the truth: The pregnancy test was really mine.

"Wait," Tawni demanded, flipping a strand of blonde curls over her shoulder. "You and Chad have actually…" She didn't seem able to force her tongue to say the word she was thinking of. "You know…Gotten pregnant?"

There were two options for me to pick from: 1. I could try lying. If Tawni and Portlyn thought the baby was Chad's, then maybe I could keep them off my back for a little while, just until I had enough time to figure out how I wanted to handle the situation. 2. Tell my two best friends the truth.

Pretending Chad was the father would be the easiest thing to do. Tawni and Portlyn wouldn't freak out (at least, not as much as they would if I told them what really happened) and, if word of my pregnancy ever got out in the open, the world wouldn't hate me as much if the baby belonged to the guy I'd been dating for nearly two years instead of a stranger. The only problem with that scenerio was Chad. He knew the truth about the two of us, that there was absolutely no way we could be pregnant. I doubted, even under the circumstances surrounding how I got pregnant in the first place, Chad would agree to cover for the other guy.

How could I even ask him to cover for the guy? It wouldn't be fair to Chad. He would take the blame for something he had nothing to do with, possibly ending his career in Hollywood depending on how strongly people felt about unwed teenagers having children. Besides, if Chad stood up for me like that, it would give the real culprit a picture of innocence.

'_If you're pregnant,' _a small voice reminded me.

Somewhere over the course of the past few weeks, I began leaving the word 'if' out. Instead of saying 'if I'm pregnant', it turned into 'I'm pregnant'. I needed to stop thinking that way. My pregnancy test still sat in an un-opened box. There wasn't any proof yet that my condition was really a condition.

"Sonny," Portlyn prompted. "This baby is Chad's…Isn't it?"

"So, I should probably find out if I'm having a baby, shouldn't I?" I changed the topic, reaching for the pregnancy test. "If you need me, I'll be in the bathroom!"

I was back inside Portlyn's room seconds later, Tawni and Portlyn surrounding me as they forced me to sit. They were great friends. They were there for me when I needed them, they cared about the baby I might be having, and they could tell when I was lying.

"You didn't answer the question," Portlyn informed me. "Is the baby Chad's?"

"We don't even know if there is a baby-,"

"Oh my gosh." A huge smile spread across Tawni's face. "She's avoiding the question! She's been with some other guy!"

"No I haven't! I mean, not because I wanted to be with him. I love Chad - I would never dream of cheating on him! It just kind of happened. I had nothing to do with it, really. There wasn't anything I could do, he forced himself on me. I'm not a cheater, you guys. You have to believe me-,"

During my speech, Portlyn stood. She advanced toward me, the anger evident on her face. Slowly, her hand came forward-

-And connected with my cheek.

"Chad Dylan Cooper is my boss," she said firmly. "You mean the world to him and I cannot believe you would throw his feelings away and have sex with someone else!"

Her anger was justified. I deserved each and every slap she gave me. Actually, I wanted her to do it again. I wanted her to bring me as much pain as possible, to bring me to my knees writhing in my own sorrows. Maybe it would talk some sense into me and I would finally realize how stupid my life was, how stupid it had been since January.

How stupid I was for allowing myself to get pregnant.

"Hey!" Tawni, to my surprise and Portlyn's if the expression on her face was any indication, ran to my side. "Didn't you listen to a word Sonny just said? She didn't cheat on Chad!"

"If she's having a baby and Chad isn't the father, I'm pretty sure some cheating happened somewhere along the line," Portlyn protested.

"Not necessarily!" Tawni faltered, her eyes studying me. "She could have gone to the doctor and done that…that thing they do for girls when they want to have a baby but they don't have a guy around to help!"

Tawni was defending me. I had no idea why she was doing it. In the olden days, she would have loved witnessing Portlyn punching me, maybe even cheering on the Falls actress and begging her to either hurt me bad enough I ended up in the hospital or at the very least invite me to act on Mackenzie Falls while my face was distorted. Now, the one time I wanted Portlyn to punish me, Tawni chose to stand up to her.

"Tawni," I said softly, lightly grabbing my cast mate's arm, trying to pull her back to Portlyn's mattress. "It's alright if Portlyn's angry. You should be mad, too, actually. You guys worked so hard to get Chad and me together, and now…I blew everything in one night. One stupid, stupid night I wish I could forget ever happened!"

Portlyn kept her arms folded over her chest, refusing to join Tawni and I atop her bed. She was still mad about my 'cheating' on Chad. She wasn't going to settle down until she brought her leader some justice.

"If the night was so stupid," she started, glaring at me as she spoke, "Why'd you do in the first place?"

"I think the better question is how you did it," Tawni argued. "I mean, it's a mystery why Chad fell for you in the first place, but you convinced some random guy to sleep with you, too? I'm the pretty one in this room, not you!"

"It's not like I went out looking for a fun time!" The moment of truth was finally upon me. I sucked in as much air as I could, preparing myself for the words I needed to say. "I was…raped."

It was like someone pressed a button, fast-forwarding the movie they were watching. Tawni sprang from me, her mouth falling open in shock. Portlyn sat down, hugged me tightly, and kept muttering, "I am so, so sorry for hitting you, Sonny!" For my part, I sat there silently, giving my friends a chance to take in the news. What else could I do? If I opened my mouth again, I might start crying.

Of course, Tawni and Portlyn wanted the details. I answered every question they shot at me, a few of which included telling them it occurred the night of my interview with Tina Snippet, that I had no idea who the guy was, how I tried to get back into the studio but the only door near me was already locked for the evening, when the man threw my cell phone to the pavement to stop me from calling for help, and how much larger he was than me, which was why my fighting was futile.

By the time I finished my story, Portlyn's anger was forgotten. She and Tawni gasped at all the right places, muttering their disbeliefs that something so horrible had actually happened. They only had to picture it in their heads. I would see the burned memories every time I closed my eyes for the rest of my life.

"Couldn't you have gone for help the next day?" Portlyn demanded. "Tina's studio has video cameras, doesn't it? Surely they caught everything on tape and-,"

"I went back the next day to find out if they'd noticed anything on their tapes," I cut her off, shaking my head. "The video camera in the area I was had technical problems. It didn't record anything the entire night. I suspect the man did something to it before meeting up with me, but I have no proof."

"Couldn't you go to the police though?" Tawni asked. "They have medical tests they could do to prove that something really…happened…to you, don't they?"

"They do," I agreed, "But the best results come before a girl takes a shower. She washes away most of the evidence when she cleans herself."

"You could have gone to the police station as soon as it happened, before you had a chance to shower," Portlyn pointed out.

"I was stranded. The man took off, taking all my clothes with him, leaving me behind with nothing but a blanket. I felt defiled, dirty, like I'd just commited the biggest sin of my life…" I couldn't stop myself from shuddering. "The last thing I wanted to do was spend more time by myself in the dark, trying to find the police station. All I wanted to do was get home, take a nice hot shower, and slip into bed before anything else could happen."

Without waiting for me to say anything else, Portlyn stuck the pregnancy test in my hands. I wanted to drop it, never allowing my fingers to clutch such an accursed item again, but I knew it was too late to push the box away. I could have confirmed my pregnancy weeks ago, but I'd been too scared to try. I couldn't put it off any longer.

"Sonny, listen to me," Portlyn said firmly. "You said all this stuff happened in January, right? Well, it's March now. It's been two months. You have to find out whether or not you're really pregnant."

I didn't argue with her. I didn't try forcing the test back into her hands. Instead, I climbed to my feet (my legs felt wobbly beneath me) and headed toward the bathroom. Tawni and Portlyn watched as I left the room, Tawni looking fearful while Portlyn nodded encouragingly. I had no idea how I ended up with friends as understanding as the two of them, but I was thankful. Otherwise, I would be taking the test alone without anyone around to help keep me calm.

The box promised my test result would take several minutes to arrive. I could have gone back to wait with Tawni and Portlyn, squeezing their fingers to death as the three of us held our breath. The bathroom wasn't far from Portlyn's room; I could hear the two of them speaking softly to each other, discussing what the next plan of action would be depending on my result. Instead of joining them, I sat on the bathtub, tapping the test against my palm impatiently, willing it to work faster.

'_The test is going to be negative,' _I promised myself, barely noticing as my tapping picked up speed. _'I'm not having a baby. Not now, anyway. Sometime, years down the road, after Chad and I are happily married, we're talk about starting a family. Maybe we'll live in a huge mansion like the one he lives in now. We would have plenty of room for kids that way - and plenty of money to spoil them with! I bet some of them will go into acting. But I don't want all of them to act, not unless they really want to! They shouldn't pick their careers just because of what Chad and I do. Maybe I won't even be an actress by then. Maybe I'll be one of those nice Hollywood mom's, the ones who stay home all day so they can greet their kids with hugs and kisses. We should try to raise them as far from the spotlight as possible. I don't want a bunch of miniature Chad Dylan Cooper's running around!'_

My results were taking too long. I stood from the tub, pacing the length of the room instead, only allowing my eyes to look down after I completed a full circle. Why did it have to wait so long to come up with either a plus sign or a negative one? Was it really that hard to create one little math sign any first grader could draw?

Holding the test up so I could see it, making sure the light shined on the tiny screen, my feet froze on the spot. Finally, my result was on there, waiting for me to read it.

A plus sign told me everything I needed to know.

* * *

Nico and Grady took me to Portlyn's house.

At least, I jumped to the conclusion it was Portlyn's house since the mailbox had her last name on it. Truthfully, I'd never given any thought to where my employees lived and never studied the addresses on their job applications. Why would I ever need to visit one of them at home?

As the two Randoms and I climbed out of my car (which they made me park almost a mile from Portlyn's driveway), instead of heading toward the house's front door, Nico and Grady grabbed an arm each, pulling me toward a tree. I struggled against them, telling them Chad Dylan Cooper didn't climb trees while wearing his expensive birthday tux, but they ignored me. With cat-like skills, they climbed until reaching one of the highest branches, which was when they finally sat, their legs dangling in the air. They motioned for me to join them.

"You better have a good reason for bringing me up here!" I snarled before taking my spot beside the boys.

"You said you wanted to find Sonny, didn't you?" Nico demanded, pointing. "Well, there's Sonny!"

The tree was just large enough that the branches surrounding us kept our bodies in the shadows. Inches away from our noses was a window - a window through which I could see Sonny, Tawni, and Portlyn sitting together, my girlfriend stuffing her mouth with cheese.

It was the night of my eighteenth birthday and Sonny chose to spend her time with her girlfriends, eating _cheese_?

"This is a great look-out point, isn't it?" Grady asked, smirking as he gazed above his head toward the stars. "I come here almost every night. It's so peaceful and quiet and-,"

"You two spy on Portlyn all the time like this?" I cut him off. "She's going to kill you after I tell her!"

"We don't spy on her, man," Nico explained. "Besides, you're not going to tell her anything."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Nico and Grady exchanged smiles.

"Show him, G!"

Grady climbed to his feet (how was he able to keep his balance?). Then, after wobbling for a few moments, he began jumping. Up and down. Up and down. The bench, not strong enough to handle his weight, began shaking…

And shaking…

Slowly edging its way closer to the window…

"Ok, ok, I get it! I won't tell Portlyn about you creeps stalking her!" I exclaimed. "Just stop jumping!"

Grady sat down again. He must have weakened the branch though because, a few seconds later, a loud _creak_ issued through the silent night. I stared at Nico. Nico stared at Grady. Grady clapped his hands together like an excited child.

Three screams sounded as the branch disconnected from the tree. I found myself sprawled painfully on the ground, enduring pain when two huge lumps landed on top of me, followed by a piece of the broken branch.

Above us, Sonny, Tawni, and Portlyn laughed uncontrollably, each head sticking out of Portlyn's open window.

Why did my birthday parties never go the way I intended?

* * *

"Are you sure you're ok?"

"I'm fine."

"What were you doing in that tree anyway?"

"Well, I had to do something when you never showed up at my party."

"Aww, Chad! You cared enough about me to go off with Nico and Grady, climb into a tree, and suffer injuries? That's so sweet!"

Nico, Grady, Portlyn, and Tawni stood in a small cluster, raiding what was left of the snack table. Celebrities were leaving one by one, although whether it was because of the late hour or due to the Randoms causing problems I couldn't be sure. My birthday party was dwindling down, and I'd barely been there to enjoy it.

Sonny and I stood close to the live DJ, holding each other. We weren't really dancing (unless you counted the small circles we made), but it was nice finally having her with me. Who cared if all the famous guests were heading home? There was only one person I wanted to celebrate with anyway-

-Even if her dress did fit her a little snug.

"Is that new?" I asked, running my fingers along the material.

"I picked it out a few weeks ago when you first told me about your party," Sonny replied. "Why? Do you not like it?"

"I like it. It makes you look…older."

I wasn't lying. The black fabric clung to Sonny's body in all the right places, bringing out features I hadn't noticed when she dressed in her every day outfits. She wasn't fat, but she definitely had curves.

'_Baby curves,' _a tiny voice in the back of my head thought before I ordered it to shut up. Tonight wasn't about accusing Sonny of being pregnant, which I was sure she wasn't. Tonight was about making her happy, just like every other night I was lucky enough to spend with her.

Smiling at my compliment, Sonny stepped even closer, resting her head on my chest. I wrapped my arms around her tighter, lowered my lips until they rested near her open ear, and then, with the softest, sexiest voice I could muster-

"What did you get me for my birthday present?"

"Isn't having me as your girlfriend enough?" she giggled, lifting her head long enough for her eyes to connect with mine.

"I don't know…Is it all you got me?"

Rolling her eyes, Sonny rested a hand on the back of my neck, using it to pull herself higher. Right there in the middle of the dance floor, with a few remaining guests and our friends watching, Sonny kissed me. It wasn't just one of those kisses that lasted two seconds and was over, either. It was a full-pledged kiss that left many people begging us to 'Get a room!' and wolf-whistling. Every time I thought she would pull away (we broke apart for air at least three times), she brought my attention back to her only too easily. Her lips moved in a new pattern against my own, almost lustful, like she was trying to get every last drop of Chad Charm she could.

Finally, Sonny pulled away for good, chewing on her bottom lip. She looked like she wanted to say something.

"You know I love you…Don't you?" she asked.

"What girl doesn't love me?" I shot back. When she sent me a look, I sighed. "Yes, I know you love me, Munroe."

"Good. I want you to remember that." Her brown eyes locked on my face. "No matter what happens between us, I'll always love you, Chad."

"Are you dying or something?" I demanded. It wasn't like her to act so serious. I was the one who starred in a drama.

Shaking her head, Sonny rested her head on my chest again. As we continued swirling across the floor, I heard her whisper something almost too soft for me to hear above the music:

"Happy birthday, Cooper."

The next thing I knew, she'd fallen asleep in my arms.


	9. To Be Or Not Be

Wow...Has it really been FOUR MONTHS since I've updated CALF? That is...That is a really long break. I'm so sorry! Here are my excuses for the long period of non-writing:

1. I got a new job where I was out in the sun all day long and super tired by the time I got home. I had time to eat dinner, take a shower, and relax for maybe half an hour before going to bed. There really wasn't any time to write. But don't worry - I quit that job now. So, until I find a new one, I have writing time again!

2. The SWAC fandom started dying. I know there are still some writers for it, but...it's nothing like it was when the show first started. Truthfully, the lack of reviews was making me wonder if putting so much effort into this story was even worth it. I finally remembered that an author doesn't write for the people reading their story; they write for them themselves.

3. I became pretty much obsessed with a new show. I don't know how many of you watch Nick, but there's this show called iCarly. I've seen iCarly before, but my love for it grew A LOT over this four month period. The love/hate relationship between two of the main characters is just...Well, I had to devote some writing time to them, too. So, if you happen to watch iCarly and are a fan of Sam and Freddie, check out my stories?

4. BRAIN FREEZE! I could not think of how to push this story forward, so I thought a better solution would be to give it up.

I know, I know. I'm a horrible person for making you wait so long. I really am sorry! Please don't be mad. I'm going to update this story as much as possible. And I'll promise you right now that it will have an ending. I'm not going to leave this story unfinished. I'd feel too guilty if I did.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed and to anyone who is sticking with this story even though it just went through a long break. Actually, if you're reading this author's note now, give yourself a pat on the back. YOU, my friend, are an amazing person for sticking with me through this four month break. You deserve a HUGE piece of pie!

Alright...I guess I should actually talk about this chapter somewhere in this note.

This is Sonny's 11th week of pregnancy. Signs for week 11: Your waist line may start growing.

Oh, and just so you're warned ahead of time: this chapter deals with a topic I do not agree with. Just...be prepared. A big decision is about to be made by everyone's favorite So Random! actress (well, their favorite actress from Wisconsin anyway).

Thanks for reading and please please please PLEASE review if you are still reading. I want to know I'm not the only SWAC fan still out there!

Disclaimer: I own N-O-T-H-I-N-G.

* * *

Chapter Eight

To Be Or Not To Be

_March 26_

Kimberly Cooper wore her blonde hair in pigtails as she skipped along the sidewalk, carefully avoiding the cracks. Her blue eyes widened in surprise when she stumbled, nearly losing her balance, but after wobbling for a few moments she was able to steady herself. My hands were in the air, prepared to catch her if she fell. I lowered them before she noticed, knowing she would tell me she didn't need any help.

It was a hot day, even for Hollywood. Or maybe it just felt hotter to me since I was running to the bathroom every few minutes to either pee or puke. I hated being pregnant. All those woman on television who talk about that 'New Mother Glow'? Yeah, I was convinced they were lying. Being married and having a baby at a planned time instead of during your teenage years couldn't improve the process _that_ much. Even if Chad and I had decided to start a family on our own terms, I couldn't imagine a smile crossing my face after emptying every bite of food I'd eaten into a toilet a hundred times a day. And then, after that food was gone, I felt hungry all over again. Sure, eating could make me happy for a few seconds - until I remembered how many calories I was devouring at once. Turns out pregnant ladies eat a LOT.

Shaking away my thoughts, I turned my attention back to Kimberly. Today wasn't about me and how miserable I felt. It was about making sure Chad's younger sister found the perfect outfit for her first elementary school dance.

I was at the Cooper's house on the day Kimberly found out about the huge social event. Chad and I left Condor early that day (my morning sickness reached an all time high and Chad refused to let me stay home alone while Mom was at work), and we were on the couch, me stretched out with a blanket wrapped around my body while Chad pretended he had plenty of room to sit. His eyes were trained on the television set ("You're sick, Sonny. Do you want to know what the perfect remedy is?" Without waiting for my response, he held up a blue case. "Watching a Mackenzie Falls marathon!"). We both glanced up when we heard the front door open.

"Hey, Kim!" Chad greeted as his sister joined us in the living room, dropping her So Random! backpack in the nearest chair. "How was school?"

"It was-,"

"That's great," Chad cut her off. "Listen, I need you to watch Sonny for me."

Apparently Chad's I-Only-Care-About-Myself attitude was just as bad at home as it was at the studio. Kimberly's shoulders drooped but she nodded, not even bothering to ask why Chad asked for a favor. Did he really boss her around so much that she was willing to comply without even questioning him?

"I knew I could count on you," Chad said, ruffling Kimberly's hair before turning back to me. "I'll be back in five minutes. Can you last that long without getting sick?"

"I'll be fine," I assured him. "Where are you going?"

He waved his cell phone in my face. "I have to make a phone call."

"Who are you calling?"

"If you needed to know, your name would be Chad Dylan Cooper."

I thought about muting Mackenzie Falls as Chad left the room, wondering if eavesdropping on his conversation would kill my curiosity or just feed my conscience with guilt. As I debated over the right thing to do, my thumb hovering dangerously close to the button that would shut Mackenzie up, I realized the on-screen actor was the only person talking. Kimberly had fallen silent.

Actually, she hadn't only gone quiet - she was sitting on the floor with one elbow resting on the living room's centerpiece, allowing her cheek to press against her knuckle. I knew that pose anywhere: she was disappointed.

"Kimberly?" I asked nervously, poking her with my foot. "Are you okay?"

Normally, I wouldn't hesitate about talking to Kimberly. She and I got along great most of the time, even when she wanted me to play games that forced Chad to groan after hearing their names leave her lips. It felt like she was my younger sister too, the sibling I never had but always wanted. The only reason I thought twice about saying her name then was because I could tell she was upset about something.

Sure enough, a huge sigh left the little girl's mouth.

"I'm okay," she told me. "Go ahead and watch your show. I don't want to interrupt."

My finger pressed the button it had been longing to push, leaving the Mackenzie Falls cast in their silent world.

"I'd rather hear about your day than watch this," I said, doing my best to sit up straight. It was hard, but not because I still felt sick. I'd been lying down for too long. "What happened at school?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Kimberly gave me a dubious expression. "I don't want you getting bored…"

"Bored?" I repeated. "How can I get bored when talking to you?"

That was all it took to bring a smile to Kimberly's face. She jumped to her feet, sprinted toward the chair she'd deposited her backpack in, and ran to me, handing over a bright pink piece of paper.

"There's a dance coming up!" she explained, as though I didn't know how to read the black ink in front of me. "It's going to be so much fun! Well, that's what my teacher said anyway. I've never been to a dance before. There's going to be food - I hope something yummy like Logan berry smoothies! - and music - hopefully something cool like the So Random! theme song - and we're even having lessons during school to learn how to dance! Doesn't it sound amazing?"

"It does!" I agreed quickly. Kimberly's excitement was actually making me feel excited, too. "Maybe you can dance with that one special guy and fall in love with him and stay together all through middle school and college until you get married and - Oh my gosh, you're going to have the best night of your life!"

And from that moment on, the dance became my responsibility. Chad told Kimberly there was no way their parents would let her attend a dance since she was obviously way too young, so I was the one who asked Mr. and Mrs. Copper for permission (they said yes, but only after I convinced them her whole class was going and there wouldn't be any older kids there to, as they worded it, 'Make A Move' on their daughter). I taught Kimberly to dance when she didn't understand one of the moves she was taught at school (Chad found my lessons hilarious. He wouldn't dance with me, saying there was too much of a chance he could get hurt and have to miss filming time for the Falls. I used a giant stuffed bear instead). I even coached Kimberly on exactly what to say if a boy asked her to share a dance (Chad helped me with that speech. I tried telling Kimberly she should accept the offer no matter who the guy was, just to be fair. Chad told her to write down the names of any guys who came within five feet of her so he could track them down).

With the dance's date approaching fast, I was running out of time to prepare Kimberly. Today, since it was a Saturday and one of my days off from work, we planned a girl's only shopping trip. We were going to find the most amazing dress Hollywood had to offer!

If I could stay away from the bathroom long enough to shop, that is.

As Kimberly continued skipping, oblivious to my uncontrollable bladder, I tried to think of what store we could visit next. We'd been shopping all morning and had already hit all the stores I usually shopped in and the ones Tawni suggested I shop in. Where could we look that would have dresses for girls as young as Kimberly? I thought it was hard to find dresses when Lucy and I attended dances in Wisconsin. For someone as short as Kimberly though, the task was nearly impossible.

"Sonny?" Kimberly asked, her blue eyes leaving the ground in favor of studying me as she began walking at my side. "Can I ask you something?"

"Are you hungry?" I asked, figuring that was what she wanted to ask me about. "We can stop and get some food if you are. I don't mind taking a break if you don't!"

'_Please let us take a lunch break!' _I pleaded silently. _'I have no idea what other stores to try and I'm starving!'_

Placing a hand on her stomach like it would answer the question for her, Kimberly nodded her head.

"Lunch sounds good," she declared.

"Good," I said, reaching for her hand. "I know this awesome place that sells the best food you've ever tasted!"

I didn't really know of a place that sold the best food Kimberly had ever tasted. I just wanted pizza. It wasn't until we were seated and had our pizza eaten (only one slice remained by the time we finished. That's how hungry the baby growing in my stomach made me) that Kimberly began drumming her fingers on her chin. I recognized the sign right away; it was the same thing Chad did when he was nervous.

"Uh oh," I said, pushing my dirty plate aside. "I know that face."

"What face?" Kimberly asked, looking around the restaurant. "You know someone who just walked in?"

"Not a face like that," I explained. "A face like this!"

In a perfect imitation, I beat my fingers against my chin. Kimberly stared at her hand as though she had never seen it before.

"Was I really doing that?" she asked in awe. "But…I must have looked like an idiot!"

Stopping the pose quickly, I gave Kimberly my best stare-down. It wasn't great - I really wasn't an intimidating person.

"Out with it, Cooper," I said, calling her by her last name, which I usually only did to one Cooper when he made me mad. "Tell me what's bothering you."

Kimberly stared at me for a long time, her blue eyes staring into mine. I could almost hear her brain whirling as she tried to think of the right way to tell me whatever it was she wanted to say. Slowly, her mouth opened - and closed before any words left. She cocked her head to the side, opened her mouth a second time - and closed it once again. Whatever she wanted to say, she was going to keep it a secret as long as she could.

"Kimberly," I tried soothing her, keeping my voice gentle. "You can tell me whatever it is that's bothering you. You know I won't get upset, right?"

"Are you sure?" Her voice was tiny as she spoke, reminding me how young she truly was. "I don't want to make you mad, Sonny."

"Trust me, it takes a lot to make me mad," I assured her, flashing my best smile. She didn't return it. "You can tell me anything."

"It's just…" She drew a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "How did you know you were in love with Chad?"

The sip of pop I was in the middle of taking flew out of my mouth, landing in a spitty mess at my feet.

"How did I know I was in love with Chad?" I echoed. "How did I know - What - Why would you ask me something like that? You're not in love, are you? I mean, that's not the real reason you want to go to this dance, is it? I told your parents you were going to hang out with the girls all night, not some boy who - who…" I buried my head in my hands. "Your parents are going to kill me when they find out the truth. If they don't, then Chad will. I can't believe you used me like that, now they're never going to trust me again because they'll think I was lying and saying anything they wanted to hear in order to get you what you wanted. They're going to hate me forever and-,"

"Just forget I said anything, alright?" Kimberly cut me off, climbing to her feet. "I thought you would understand…I guess I was wrong."

She started walking away. I should have let the topic drop right then. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper wouldn't like it if they found out their youngest child was already asking questions about love. They were hoping to keep boys out of her life for awhile yet. They would want me to take her mind off the subject and forget it ever came up.

Part of me wanted to do what Chad's parents would say if they knew what their daughter was saying to me, but another part felt horrible. Kimberly had come to me for advice, and instead of helping her, I only cared about myself and how much trouble I would be in if I answered her question. What was more important: staying on Mr. and Mrs. Cooper's good sides or helping someone with romantic problems?

Throwing money on the table to pay for the pizza, I ran after Kimberly. She hadn't gone far. She sat on the stairs right outside the restaurant, her knees drawn to her chest. Even though I knew I'd regret it, I settled down beside her.

"Your brother," I began, pausing long enough to laugh. "Your brother had no idea what love was until he met me."

"You don't have to talk to me about this," Kimberly said. "I don't know why I asked in the first place-,"

"You asked because you're curious," I explained. "Everyone's curious when it comes to love. Should I love this person? Do I love them? How do I know if they're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with?"

Kimberly wrung her hands together. "How do you know you're really in love with Chad?"

I gave her the best answer I could think of:

"I know I'm in love with Chad because he knows he's in love with me."

It was a hard topic to discuss, especially since the person I was discussing it with happened to be my fiancé's sister. I didn't want to say too much - for example, I didn't want to tell Kimberly about the sparks I felt when Chad and I spent hours wrapped in each other's arms - but I didn't want to give her the wrong idea about love, either. She needed to understand that love wasn't a word to throw around lightly. It was a very serious issue.

Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I hugged Kimberly to my side. "Why the sudden interest in my romantic life?"

"No reason."

"No reason, huh?" I couldn't help but smile as Kimberly's face changed from white to red. "If there's no reason, then why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing!" When I gave her an, 'Are You Kidding Me?' expression, she gave in. "Fine, you caught me. I might be blushing a little. See, there's this boy in my class who I think I might kind of sort of have a crush on. I get nervous when I'm around him and my hands get sweaty…I wasn't sure if I was falling in love or if I'm just allergic to him."

I laughed - hard. So hard that Kimberly backed away from me, eying me like she thought I might pass my sudden craziness to her.

"You have a lot to learn about love, Kim," I told her, drawing her to my side again. "But that's okay. You don't need to know everything right now. You're young. You have your entire life ahead of you. Don't try to grow up too fast. Figure out love for yourself instead of basing your opinion off what either of your brothers do. Everything will work out in the end."

A head burrowed into my shoulder, a content sigh coming from the owner.

"You're right, Sonny," she agreed. "Everything will work out in the end. Just promise me you'll always be around to talk to about stuff like this. I'm glad Chad chose you to be his girlfriend. I love having you in the family!"

My hand rested on my stomach, which was finally beginning to grow. Not enough that Mom or Chad commented about it, but enough that my clothes were fitting tighter. My baby could be the thing that separated me from the Cooper family.

"Sonny?" Kimberly asked when I remained silent. "Don't you love being in the family?"

"I do," I promised, brushing away a tear as it rolled down my cheek. "I really, really do."

* * *

So far, Shayanna DelMingo was my favorite boss. Not that Mr. Condor wasn't great and everything - he was totally nice as far as Hollywood owners of huge companies were concerned - but he wasn't as much fun as Shayanna. Every time I called my new boss (making sure Sonny wasn't around before doing so. She had no idea she was a new cast member on All the Days of Our Lives and I had no idea how I was going to break the news to her), Shayanna seemed to be in a good mood. She laughed and joked around. She told me not to worry about making another trip to DelMingo Studio anytime soon, not until she knew when filming would begin. She even offered to take me out for business dinners so she could tell me more about the show and go over some of the details in my contract.

Shayanna was great. She made me look forward to my new role on the soap opera - if I survived until the first rehearsal. There was a chance Sonny would kill me the moment I told her she'd accepted the role.

Although I still didn't understand why Sonny didn't want to take the role. Shayanna offered numerous times to change Sonny's character. Sure, I told her not to worry about it most of the time when she offered - after all, if she made Sonny's character the cool one, mine would be un-cool. Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't play un-cool - but I had a feeling changing a few lines in the script wouldn't make Sonny change her mind. She liked working in Chuckle City for some unfathomable reason.

I had one course of action to take when it came to dealing with Sonny: doing anything and everything within my power to make her happy. The happier Sonny was, the better chance she had of not getting mad when I told her we were switching to DelMingo Studio. She would have to quit So Random! eventually…I'd already told Mr. Condor Sonny and I were leaving our shows. There was no way she could keep her job once her name belonged to another company.

Keeping Sonny happy wasn't an easy task. People think being Chad Dylan Cooper is easy, but they're wrong. I had people who did almost everything for me. The one thing they couldn't do was date Sonny Munroe. That part was left for me.

Watching my girlfriend walk toward me, sniffling loudly, I knew I wasn't doing my job by keeping her happy. Something was obviously wrong.

"M'Lady," I greeted once she was standing right in front of me. "Did you have fun shopping with Kimberly?"

"I need to see Tawni and Portlyn."

At first, I thought I misheard her. I thought Sonny's nose was so stuffy, it made it sound like she said something she really didn't say. She couldn't have stated she needed to see Tawni and Portlyn. We were supposed to go out for dinner at a five-star restaurant. I couldn't cancel our reservations because Sonny decided she needed a girls night.

"You need to see…who?" I asked, adding in a laugh for effect.

"Tawni," Sonny repeated. "And Portlyn. I already called them. They're on their way to pick me up."

I wasn't sure how to respond. Sonny wasn't asking for a girls night. She was taking one whether I was alright with it or not. She'd spent all day with my sister and now, instead of hanging out with me, she was doing something with Portlyn and Tawni. After I spent hours on the phone, trying to make dinner reservations.

My fiancée was ditching me.

"I know we have plans tonight," she started, "But I really need to see Tawn and Port."

"Bring them along!" I suggested. "Just make sure they bring their own money."

Shaking her head, Sonny acted like she was going to say something, but a car picked that moment to begin beeping. Tawni and Portlyn were already in the driveway, signaling to Sonny that she better hurry.

"I need to go," Sonny stated, standing on her tiptoes so she could kiss my cheek. "We'll have dinner another night. I promise."

I watched helplessly as Sonny ran through the front door. Maybe I wasn't the person who could make her happy anymore…

* * *

"Are you sure about this, Sonny?"

"You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

"We would understand if you changed your mind. I'll drive you back to Chad's house now and we can pretend none of this ever happened."

"We'll find another way to solve the problem. Like…Like maybe telling everyone you're fat, not pregnant?"

Portlyn and Tawni kept rambling off suggestions, each of them coming in one ear and out the other. It was too late. My mind was made up. The pen was in my hand, lingering inches from the yellow piece of paper where I was supposed to write my name and the time I arrived. For some reason, I found myself immobile.

'_Just sign the stupid paper,'_ I told myself, trying to force my fingers to move. _'Sign it and get this over with, Sonny. The sooner, the better. Do it now…before you chicken out.'_

I couldn't allow myself to chicken out. Kimberly had a point. I was (almost) part of the Cooper family. What would they do if they ever found out I was pregnant? They might be okay with it at first. Honestly, I had no idea how they felt about teen pregnancy. But even if they were okay with it, they wouldn't be after finding out the baby didn't belong to Chad. I could do the easy thing and pretend the baby was Chad's. Tawni and Portlyn wouldn't tell anyone the truth, not as long as I swore them to secrecy. They'd done a great job so far of not telling anyone I was pregnant. Mrs. Cooper would be understanding if Chad and I were pregnant. Mr. Cooper would probably be angry, but his wife could calm him down. Chad would do the right thing and marry me right away. Actually, it would be the dream solution for him. He wanted to get married right away, didn't he?

The pen hung in midair as I considered not signing my name. Was a better option to come clean about the situation? Well, halfway clean about it. I could tell everyone I was pregnant, only instead of saying it was because of some stupid night in a parking lot with a stranger, Chad was the dad.

'_Don't be stupid!' _I scolded. _'Chad knows you haven't had sex with him. Even if you told his parents the baby was his, he would have to know the truth. Just put your name on the paper before it's too late.'_

Sucking in all the air my lungs could hold, I closed my eyes tightly. I forced my hand to lower until I felt it hit a hard surface. Then, slowly, I allowed one eye to open, just far enough to see what I wrote. _Sonny Munroe, 8:47 PM_.

It was official: I was having an abortion.

"This will be better," Portlyn stated, trailing behind me as I took a seat in the empty waiting room. "Not having a baby is better than having one when you're not ready."

"How is it better?" Tawni protested, sitting on the side of me Portlyn hadn't taken. "If I'm not mistaken, Sonny has a baby inside of her right now, right? A baby that's about three months old?"

"Yeah…So?" Portlyn asked, motioning for Tawni to continue.

"So, the way I see it, that baby is already a real, live, breathing human being," Tawni continued. "If Sonny goes through with this…" She flipped her hair over her shoulder nonchalantly. "She'll have to live the rest of her life knowing she murdered her own child."

I felt my blood freeze when Tawni mentioned murder. I hadn't thought about that…

"It isn't murdering her child!" Portlyn sighed, rolling her eyes. "If Sonny went through with the pregnancy, the baby would be born in sin. It's better to kill it now than let it live a cursed life."

"The baby won't be born in sin," Tawni shot back. "It's not its fault some weird guy raped Sonny. I'm not saying a sin wasn't committed in order to get the baby, but I don't think the baby should have to pay the price for what its father did."

"Then what do you suggest Sonny should do?" Portlyn asked, leaning forward in her seat so she could see Tawni over me. "If she keeps this baby, her life will be ruined. Mr. Condor will fire her, Chad will dump her, her Mom will disown her, and she'll be stuck with some little boy or girl she doesn't even want. You think going through all of that would be better than killing the baby now before everything spirals out of control?"

"Stop yelling at me!" Tawni ordered, reaching up to cover her ears. "I don't know what the solution is! I just don't think this is the right one!"

Deep down, I knew which side of the argument I agreed with. Portlyn was pretending abortion would be alright, that it would take care of all my problems. I knew how to read people and I knew every word she said was a lie. She didn't want me to kill the baby anymore than Tawni did. I had no idea why they were against the idea. They wanted me, their best friend, to have a baby belonging to some psychopath?

In the end, it didn't matter what Tawni or Portlyn thought about my decision. I was the one having the baby. When they called my name and my two friends stood up to follow me, I begged them to sit down. I went into the room alone. I told the doctor why I was there. When he left to get the supplies he needed…

…I was the one who broke down in tears.

I couldn't do it. No matter how much I wished I could change the events that took place on the night of my first solo interview, there was no way to go back in time. As much as I wanted the baby to be gone, to never have existed at all, I couldn't be the one to take away its life. Tawni was right; I'd be committing murder if I went through with the abortion. I'd take life away from a tiny human who never had the chance to see the world before I took away its privileges of ever doing so. Yes, the baby had been created in a night of sinful deeds, but I was the one who needed to pay the price for that night, not the baby. Who was I to take its life?

When Tawni and Portlyn joined me in the room, they found me sitting in the corner, rocking back and forth while tears ran freely down my cheeks. They exchanged one look - just one tiny glance at each other - before collapsing on the tile floor around me. Their arms wrapped around me tightly and I was almost sure I heard them crying too although it was hard to hear over my loud sobs. They whispered comforting words, things like, "Everything's going to be okay," and, "We will help you through this. You're going to be alright."

Realization hit me for the first time: I, Sonny Munroe, was really going to be a teen mom.


	10. A Random But Dramatic Wedding

HELLO SWAC READERS!

For anyone who remembers me (which probably isn't a lot of you), my name is lifeisveryshortsoami, also known as the girl who started this story, took a huge break, updated one chapter, then stopped updating a second time.

Oh, and did I mention I feel horrible about that?

So, I am making a promise to you (if you're still reading this...which I have a very bad feeling I've lost most of my readers over this long span): I WILL finish this story. It might take me a little while. There might be breaks between chapters.

But I AM going to finish it.

And that's a promise!

Um...Yeah. Just keep in mind when reading this chapter that Chad just turned 18 and Sonny is 17. It does get a little more...graphic...than my usual love scenes. Nothing TOO horrible or M-rated. I just wanted to give you a fair warning.

Special shout-out to Trinityflowerofmemory for reading the first five pages, letting me know what she thought of them, and for telling me over and over again that I should finish this story. Thank you sooooooooooo much for all your help - with EvErYtHiNg.

Also, special shout-outs to ChAnNyObSeSsEd , bridieliz13 , and for taking the time to review the last chapter. Thank you so much, guys! It really means a lot to me to know I still have at least three readers! (PS. Sorry if your names don't show up...It's been a long time since I've posted anything. I don't remember if you can copy and paste names!)

You know the drill: Read, review, let me know how much you hate/love the story...And if you read, PLEASE review. Just so I know there's somebody out there and I'm not alone in this crazy, messed up world.

This is Week 15 of Sonny's pregnancy. By Week 15, you are in your second trimester and a lot of your signs (like morning sickness) are finally gone. But, that also means you will start showing soon. Ladies, if any of you are out there reading this, DO NOT BE LIKE SONNY AND WAIT 15 WEEKS BEFORE SEEING A DOCTOR! Glad I got that off my chest.

Have fun, enjoy the story, and let me know what you think of everything so far?

Disclaimer: Christmas is coming soon! Does somebody want to buy me swac? Nevermind...I really only want CDC.

* * *

Chapter Nine

A Random But Dramatic Wedding

_April 18_

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

I, Chad Dylan Cooper, never thought I was the romantic sort of guy. Sure, I knew how to sweet-talk the ladies and, in my younger days, I loved jumping from one girl to the next to the next to the next. When I was little, I never pictured myself being a one-girl guy. I thought I would date all the girls I could, perhaps never settling down with just one of them. Where was the fun in life if I was stuck with one lady?

Somehow, Sonny changed my whole perceptive on life. I met her and, even though it was rough for us at the beginning, I knew there was something different about her. Now, after dating her for almost two years straight, I could barely remember the old Chad, Chad-the-player-Cooper. There was only one girl in my life and I never wanted that to change. It was impossible to imagine a world without Sonny, a day without witnessing her radiant smile or hearing her wonderful laughter or being able to wrap her in my arms. To me, a life without Sonny Munroe was unfathomable.

Judging by the expression on the actress' face, Sonny felt the same way I did. She could fake it all she wanted to when she first moved to Hollywood - pretend she hadn't fallen for me the second she met me by living under the pretense of hating me instead - but I had a feeling that now, even if we weren't Hollywood's Cutest Couple, her act would be very hard to recreate every day. She was the type of person who felt emotions stronger than others and always wanted to share what she was feeling, whether she was happy, sad, or wanting to kill someone. I saw the way her lips broke into a grin whenever I came around, the way her brown eyes sparkled when I took her hand in mine. Yes, it would have been hard for Sonny to 'hate' me for two years if I had never ended up asking her out. She just wasn't the kind of person capable of hiding her true colors.

'_She sure is capable of keeping secrets!' _a voice in my head reminded me. _'She still hasn't told you about the baby yet, has she?'_

'_Shut up!' _I ordered, wishing I could roll my eyes without Sonny noticing. _'The only reason she hasn't said anything about the baby is because she isn't having a baby!'_

'_Sure, sure,' _the first voice agreed mockingly. _'If you really believe that, then tell me…Why has she been so tired lately? And how come her mood swings have been terrible? What about her fifty bathroom breaks a day? Oh, and how are you explaining off the extra weight she's put on?'_

A soft touch on my cheek kept me from answering my own questions. Sonny was watching me, her eyes curious as she tried reading my face. I had no idea what she was seeing. Could she tell I was fighting with myself? Did she think I was going crazy? Oh my Chad, what if she figured out that part of me suspected her of being pregnant? She would leave, that much I knew for sure. She'd probably shout something about how I didn't trust her and we would never work out if she thought I thought she was sleeping around with other guys. I couldn't let her know the thought of a baby ever crossed my mind.

'_She's Sonny Munroe, after all,' _I reminded myself. _'Also known as Hollywood's Good Girl. She would never in a million years even DREAM of cheating on me, Chad Dylan Cooper!'_

"Chad?" Sonny's voice was soft, almost as gentle as the fingertips she still rested on my skin. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is more than alright," I assured her, reaching up so I could remove her hand, instead locking our fingers together. "I'm the greatest actor of our generation, my parents, your mom, and Kimberly are gone for an entire weekend, and you agreed to come over even though our parents would kill us if they knew we were alone together. Could life get any better than this?"

My little rebel of a girlfriend. Sonny was more than happy to accept my invitation when I called her earlier, even after I told her my parents and Kimberly were on their way to see Bryson. I had paused, wondering if I'd heard her correctly. She was really going to come over when no one else was at my house? She told me Mrs. Munroe was heading back to Wisconsin - apparently there was some kind of medical emergency concerning Grandma Munroe.

"I mean, I'm sure she's going to be fine," Sonny replied when I asked why she decided to stay in Hollywood. "Dad made it sound like it wasn't a big deal, but Grandma kept shouting at him in the background, saying stuff like, 'Don't lie, Jerry. I need Connie! Tell her I need her!' I think she's just trying to get Mom to come back because she misses her. And because she thinks I'm old enough to live in Hollywood on my own anyway. So, should we meet at my house or yours?"

Flabbergasted, I suggested my place. A happy Sonny agreed and, forty-five minutes later, the front door flew open as she let herself in, refusing to so much as knock. I was just getting out of the shower - thankfully I had a chance to pull on a pair of sweats before she flew up the stairs - and before I could get out more than, "Hi, Son-,", she tackled my lips in an intense kiss, one that left me staggering as I lost my balance.

That was how we ended up lying together on my bed.

It was weird to have Sonny acting so romantic; a good kind of weird. Usually we did our best to stay away from suggestive furniture (for example, beds, couches, chairs too small for both of us that forced Sonny to sit on my lap). Growing up in the spotlight, knowing we had kids looking up to us…it kept us from doing anything too horrible, anything that would let our fans down. Of course, nobody would know if Sonny and I did get carried away sometime, allowing our teenage hormones to take over for a few hours, but even I would feel guilty about it later. Sonny was starting to rub off on me. I wanted to be a good influence for the people who watched Mackenzie Falls (which still had more viewers than So Random!). Sure, I still had my moments - I am still Chad Dylan Cooper, after all, the greatest person to ever walk the face of the planet - but I was trying to keep a better image. Letting things go too far with Sonny would be bad for both our reputations. I could only guess what the headlines would say if the public ever found out: Hollywood's Bad Boy Ruins Hollywood's Good Girl!

The room stayed silent as Sonny watched our hands. They laid on my chest (which was still bare due to her uncharacteristic pounce on me after her arrival), and her fingers brushed the sides of mine, drawing invisible patterns. I wished, not for the first time, that I could read her mind. What was she thinking about? Was she happy about our current position? Did she feel excited going behind our parents backs after they gave us strict orders to never be alone together? Or was she regretting coming over at all, the guilt of disobeying her Mother finally settling in?

"I love days like today," she muttered, her eyes staring off into the distance. I wondered if she was talking to me or herself. "Days when it feels like it's just the two of us in the world. Just you and me. No comedy, no drama, no cast mates or parents or little siblings…Just you and me, Sonny and Chad, delving in all the love it's possible for two people to have."

"It's nice," I agreed. "Are you hungry yet? I could have some pizza delivered or-,"

Sonny silenced me by tilting her chin, bringing her lips to mine. Her lips only made contact for two or three seconds before she pulled away, but she didn't move too far. She held my gaze, searching my eyes almost as though she was asking permission to kiss me again. Deciding that would fill my appetite more than food, I complied.

We started out slow and gentle. I kissed her, pulled away, she kissed me, took a break, and I swooped in again. Each kiss was short and sweet but still sent shivers through me. I loved the feelings she could give me. I would kiss her all day long if she'd let me.

It wasn't long before Sonny switched things up. The hand that wasn't connected to mine brushed through my blonde hair, messing it up in a way I only allowed Sonny to do. She watched my reaction, smiled brightly when I didn't stop her, then brought her palm to a rest on the back of my neck. She scooted closer to me - if it was even possible for our bodies to grow any closer - and before I knew what was really happening, she was kissing me again.

This time, there was a passion to the kiss, a desire too strong for both of us to handle. Things were going to go too far too fast if I let my guard down for even two seconds. I had to stay in control. I had to keep myself controlled or-

Her tongue brushed at my lips. I groaned before allowing her entrance. I could hear her laugh softly as she entered my mouth, felt the happiness radiating off her as our tongues played a domination battle. She was not helping me keep my control.

Positions shifted. Our hands still connected, Sonny used them to gently push me over until I was lying on my back instead of my side. The hand on the back of my neck, the one I was surely squishing, began running over my biceps instead. Although her touch was better than anything I'd ever felt before, it was horrible at the same time. I was very ticklish. I squirmed beneath her fingers, trying my best to concentrate on the kiss and nothing else. As though she could sense my problem, Sonny stopped her hand and began moving her torso, bringing it into the air. I wanted to ask what she was doing - her hair fell into my face as she stationed herself - but she kept kissing me, refusing to let me speak. Then, her chest landed on top of mine.

"Sonny," I said, finally separating myself from the kiss. "Are you sure-,"

"Shh," she whispered, covering my lips with her finger. "The time for talking is over."

This time, my expectant lips were met with disappointment. I knew it was time to end things - Sonny and I were on my bed with no adults home having a major make-out session! - and I thought about telling Sonny to stop. That was when my blood became icy cold.

Sonny was kissing my neck. Slowly, her eyes on mine the entire time, she lowered her head, bringing her lips to the soft skin where my neck and shoulders met. She had never kissed me there before - just her lips on my bare skin without any pesky clothes in the way - and I had to say one thing: I did not hate the feeling of it.

As she continued her pattern, kissing everywhere along my chest, I felt my eyes closing in pleasure. I thought the greatest feeling in the world was when I received another award for my acting, but I was wrong. This - being totally and completely alone with Sonny Munroe, my girlfriend, my fiancée - was better than anything. I wanted to live this moment forever, never let it slip away and only be a memory, a glorious memory I would relive night after night…

"Hey!" I shouted suddenly, my eyes flying open. "Hey, hey, hey! Stop right there, Munroe!"

Sitting up as high as I could, which wasn't high considering I had an actress on top of me, I grabbed her hands. In the midst of her actions, they had traveled too low, resting on an area I was not comfortable with.

"What's wrong?" Sonny wanted to know. "Did I do something wrong?"

"Yes, you did something wrong!" I pulled her hands toward my chin, wanting her as far North as she could go. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What? Like you haven't done that with girls before anyway."

She tried freeing her hands, but I held them all the tighter. _'Here we go again,'_ that devious little voice returned, snickering like it thought it knew everything. _'Pregnant girls are more romantic than other girls. Do you really think Sonny would be trying to go this far with you if she wasn't pregnant?'_

I had heard that theory before. Mom, who saw a lot of pregnant people while working as a nurse, told me that sometimes, girls could become very emotional during their nine months and may feel uncontrollable urges to be with their significant other physically.

'_That's not why Sonny's acting this way,'_ I protested. _'She's just getting carried away. Our parents are gone, we're alone, we have a perfectly fine racecar bed to use…She just can't resist me.'_

'_You keep telling yourself that, Chad. You'll find out the truth eventually.'_

"Sonny," I said, this time out-loud. "We can't do this."

"We can do this," she argued. "Why don't you let me be in charge for a little while?"

Ripping her hands from my grasp, they flew to her shirt. Before she could do more than grab the bottom and begin lifting it, I sprang from my bed. A very disgruntled Sonny glared at me as I hovered over her, my fingers keeping hers from doing the task they'd been in the process of.

"I would love for this activity to continue, but-,"

"Then let it," Sonny interrupted, trying to kiss me again.

"BUT," I repeated, louder this time, "I told you before, Sonny. I want to keep you pure. I don't want to be the one who defiles you before your wedding day."

Her mouth opened like she was going to say something else, but at the last minute, she shook her head. Then, as quickly as the anger had overtaken her, her eyes lit up again.

"I never noticed how handsome you are in the moonlight, Chad."

I was going to inform her I always look handsome - once again, it's another trait that comes with being Chad Dylan Cooper - but I stopped as her words sank in. I turned toward my window, which was displaying blue skies, white clouds, and a few hundred fingerprints.

"Um, Sonny? Are you feeling okay?"

"I feel fine. Why do you ask?"

"You just said I look handsome in the moonlight…but there is no moonlight."

"So? A girlfriend can't tell her boyfriend that he looks handsome in the moonlight even if there is no moonlight when she says it? Geez, Chad, can't you just learn how to take a compliment when you get one?"

"But - I - Sun…" I pointed lamely to the window.

The words stumbled out of my mouth. I had no idea what to say. Was Sonny trying to be nice or was she trying to make me sound like a jerk because I pointed out a flaw in her latest statement?

"Fine," she gave in. "You look handsome in the sunlight, Chad. Can I tell you where I was going with this conversation now? Please?"

Without giving me a chance to answer, she raised herself onto her knees. I was still standing beside the bed, so even as she raised up, I was taller than her. Still, she had no trouble grabbing my shoulders and pulling me closer to her, resting her forehead against mine.

"I think we should get married sooner rather than later," she said. When I didn't respond right away, she added, "Not just sooner as in one year instead of five. I think we should get married tonight."

Even I, the great Chad Dylan Cooper, was left speechless after that proclamation.

* * *

It was the greatest plan in the history of plans: If I couldn't kill my baby, then the least I could do was let Chad think it was his. I was only a few months into the pregnancy; not many signs were showing up, other than a few I could pass off as having the flu. Even my waistline, which was starting to hang out more than usual, could be passed off as weight gain from all the food I'd eaten lately. Everyone knew I was eating more than usual. Tawni and Portlyn told everyone it was because I was a growing girl; I wasn't sure anyone actually believed them.

Everything seemed to fall into place only too easily. Mom left for Wisconsin. Chad's parents and Kimberly went to visit Bryson. Chad called and asked if I wanted to come over. Following through with my plan was going to be easier than I'd thought.

"Seriously?" Portlyn had said when I told her my idea. "You're just going to…you know…with Chad and let him believe the baby is really his?"

"What other choice to I have?" I had asked, honestly wanting an answer. "If I tell him the truth, he'll break up with me for sure. Remember what happened last time we broke up, Port? I was miserable, he was miserable…I don't want to go through all that again."

"Then I guess your idea is all you can do," Portlyn had given in. "I mean, if you can live with the fact that you lied to Chad for the rest of your life. Sonny, babies last forever. If you start off its life by telling him or her Chad is the dad when really he isn't…I don't know. I just have a bad feeling this will all blow up in your face someday."

When I tried telling Tawni what I planned to do, she wasn't very supportive, either. Actually, she was even less helpful than Portlyn, who at least agreed that it was the only course of action I had.

"You…and Chad…are going to…?" she had questioned, unable to string her words into a complete sentence.

"Yes, Tawni," I had sighed, rolling my eyes. "Do you think it's a bad idea?"

"I think…" Insert a snicker here. "You should…" Insert another giggle. "Follow this very important Tawni Tip: make sure your bra isn't covered in cow spots!"

She laughed after that, so loudly and crazily that I ended the call by hanging up without telling her goodbye. _'Don't wear a bra covered in cow spots,'_ I thought to myself, shaking my head. _'…I wonder how she even knew I owned one?'_

Needless to say, I was nervous about heading to Chad's. Good girls don't turn bad overnight. If I planned on - ugh, even thinking the word was hard - seducing Chad, how was I going to do it? Should I wait and see if my words were enough or were my clothes a good place to start? Which outfit would be considered appropriate attire for such an occasion?

I ended up taking a shower. A long shower where I let the hot water roll over me and rubbed the soap along my skin as hard as I could, turning certain patches red. Everywhere had to be clean. If I was showing more of myself to Chad than ever before, I didn't want to leave him anything to laugh about. I was nervous enough about the plan in the first place. The last thing I wanted was Chad making fun of my body.

Once I was satisfied with my cleanliness, I set to work on my legs and underarms. I could picture Chad's expression if he ran his hand over my knee and found hair there. He would call everything off, my plan would be ruined, and he would either break up with me because I wasn't perfect enough for someone as great as he believed he was or he would rush me to the nearest beauty saloon. Either scenario was not one I wanted to deal with. If I really went through with everything, and I kept telling myself I would, then I wanted to make sure things went smoothly.

While standing in front of my closet, trying to find an outfit that was suitable, I almost chickened out. Because, on the far wall of my room, a full-length mirror reflected my naked body back to me. Did I really look that bad?

If I was adding my weeks correctly, I was in the second trimester of my pregnancy. Thankfully, according to the internet, the second trimester would be easier than the first. No more morning sickness! Although that fact elated me, other things were getting scarier. For instance, soon it would be impossible to hide my stomach. I was supposed to be taking some type of medicine to help ensure the baby would be born healthy. All the websites I visited, every single article I read, all advised one thing: go to the doctor.

Setting up a doctor's appointment was impossible. I was still under eighteen and under Mom's insurance. What did that mean, exactly? It meant that any doctor I saw would have every right to call my Mom and let her know I'd stopped by and my reason for doing so. Tawni and Portlyn both tried convincing me to go anyway, that Mom would have to find out eventually, but I refused. Yes, the smartest thing to do would be to have a doctor confirm I was pregnant and get advice about what steps I should be taking. However, Mom's wrath scared me more than having something bad happen to the baby. After all, in the olden days, woman had babies without having a doctor around to them…didn't they?

Doctor or no doctor, they wouldn't be able to keep me from sticking out my tongue at my disfigured body. No baby-bump was visible yet, although my waist stuck out much too far. As I studied my reflection, I couldn't help from wondering why Chad stuck with someone as gross as me. I had never had the stick-thin body of a supermodel, but this was ridicules. My skin looked flabby and gross, like I was one of those obese people on a show about how America has gotten too fat over the years. My jeans, skirts, and dresses all fit too tight now thanks to the extra weight. Tawni and Portlyn were generous (Portlyn much more than Tawni), volunteering to either give me clothes or take me shopping for new ones. A new wardrobe was not going to help me today. The point of going to Chad's was to eventually have him rip my clothes off.

I knew he would run away the second he saw my fat.

'_Don't think about it,'_ I told myself firmly, turning back to my closet. _'You have to do this, Sonny. You want your baby to have a real father…don't you?'_

To my surprise, it wasn't all that hard to put my plan into action. Chad was getting out of the shower when I arrived. His hair was still damp and sticking to his forehead. His bare chest gleamed as drops of water rolled off it to the floor. My natural hormones set in and I found it extremely easy to get him exactly where I wanted him.

Too bad Chad was too smart for his own good. He had this strange resolution about making sure I stayed pure until I was married (Ha…what would he say if he knew I was already pregnant?). I was frustrated at first - I'd worked so hard to get ready for the perfect moment to strike! - but then, I realized what had to be done:

If I wanted Chad and all of Hollywood to believe this baby belonged to my long-time boyfriend, I needed to sleep with him before I got any bigger and people began guessing what was going on. If he wouldn't sleep with me while I was only his fiancée, then I would have to become something more.

That's how I found myself in a store surrounded by thousands of frilly white dresses.

"I don't know," Tawni said, studying two of the many dresses currently hanging side by side. "I like this one, but the other one has a prettier design…Which one do you like better, Zora?"

"That depends," Zora replied. "Which one can I fling from my meat-launcher?"

One thing that perplexed me when I called and asked Tawni and Portlyn to accompany me when I went wedding dress shopping was their plead to invite Zora, Nico, and Grady along as well. I knew shopping for a wedding dress would be boring - with my stupid huge waistline, nothing would look good on me - and if I was going to be bored, surely the boys and Zora would feel the same. I was half right; Zora ignored the clothes completely, trying to find a vent she could escape through. Nico and Grady on the other hand…well, they were playing hide-and-seek amidst the sea of white.

"I still can't believe this," Tawni complained, throwing one of the dresses over her shoulder (I guess she decided that one wasn't right for me. Nico caught the silky fabric on his head). "First, Chad Dylan Cooper asks you to marry him. Does any guy ask me to marry him? Of course not! Now you're actually getting married at seventeen. Married at seventeen! I can't even get a date!"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Portlyn sighed, removing the dress from Nico, who, for his part, looked rather disappointed. Grady, who must have been the seeker in their game, must not have thought of looking under the dress because he ran forward, pointed a victory finger at his best friend, then ran to find his own hiding place. "Just ask Nico or Grady to go to the wedding with you as your date."

Their game coming to an abrupt halt, both of the boys turned their attention to the tween queen. She rolled her eyes in return.

"No, thank you," she said. "I'd rather go to the wedding alone than attend with one of those goofs."

"You don't need a date for this wedding anyway," I chimed in. "Chad and I are getting married in a tiny little chapel that charges an arm and leg for us to use their minister and building. The ceremony will be over in five minutes."

"I just can't believe you're actually getting married to Pooper," Zora spoke up, wrinkling her nose in disgust. "He's almost as evil as Dakota."

"Oh, come on! He's changed since Mackenzie Falls first started!"

Nico and Grady came to the join the group, the expressions on their faces similar to the one Zora wore. Portlyn, almost like she knew she was suddenly intruding on a private moment, excused herself quietly.

"What?" I asked, realizing for the first time that all four of my cast mates had fallen silent. "After all this time, you guys still hate Chad?"

"I don't hate him!" Grady offered. When everyone else glared at him, he shrugged. "What? Let's face it, guys. Sonny's right. Chad is different than the guy we knew before Sonny moved to Hollywood."

"He might be different," Nico consented. "But I still think you could do so much better than him."

Great. My best friends waited until my wedding day before telling me they all thought my boyfriend was worthless. Not only did I have a dress to pick out, a wedding to finish before Mom returned home, and a baby expanding my waistline every minute of the day, but now I had to convince them that I was doing the right thing by marrying Chad.

And I knew I was doing the right thing. Baby or no baby, I knew I would end up with Chad someday. Sure, when he first asked me to marry him, I wanted to wait a few years before tying the knot, but that was only because we were both young. I thought he might have a chance to fall in love with someone else that way and he wouldn't spend the rest of his life regretting his decision to marry. So I wanted to push the wedding up a few years. Who cared? I was in love with Chad and he was in love with me. The baby had nothing to do with my decision.

At least, that's what I kept telling myself.

"Do you guys really hate Chad," I asked, looking from one cast mate to the next, "Or are you just afraid he's going to pull apart our Random family?"

They didn't have to tell me their answer; I could hear it loud and clear in their silences.

"Come here," I said, putting an arm around Grady's shoulders and motioning for Tawni and Zora to come closer. "Look, what you guys need to understand is that nothing's going to change between us. Just because I'm marrying Chad doesn't mean I'm abandoning you. You guys are always going to be my family. You adopted me when I moved here from Wisconsin, you befriended me right away - well, most of you befriended me right away - and I couldn't ask for better friends than you. We're not just cast mates; we're brothers and sisters. Nothing, not even Chad Dylan Cooper, is ever going to take that away from us."

They each mumbled a small agreement then took off in their separate directions, refusing to bring the topic up again. Maybe they were right. Maybe I was making a mistake marrying Chad…

I shook that thought away when my hand rested on my stomach. I wasn't just making decisions for myself any more. There was someone else I needed to think about, and that someone else was going to need a place to live, two loving parents to take care of it, and a mother who never got fired from her job due to one stupid night in an empty parking lot.

Nodding my head, telling myself I was doing the right thing, I joined Tawni in searching for the perfect wedding gown.

* * *

On my wedding day, I wanted a huge building, maybe even a lush green yard instead, and hundreds of people in attendance. I wanted a cake larger than life. I wanted to stand up front by the minister and look into the audience (flashing the paparazzi a huge grin while doing so) and find my Mom and Mrs. Munroe sitting in the front row, bawling their eyes out. My Dad would nod, telling me he approved of not only my marriage, but the girl I was about to make my wife. Bryson would be slumping somewhere in the back row, upset that his younger brother had found the girl of his dreams before he had someone himself. Kimberly would walk down the aisle, looking beautiful with her blonde curls tied up nicely as she threw flowers along the path. Then, my bride, Sonny, would show her face and cry happily as Mr. Munroe led her toward me, gently placing her hand in mine…

If I wanted all that, why was I standing at the front of some run-down church with a minister who looked like he could fall asleep at any moment and shoes that were two sizes too small?

"The girls are almost ready," Nico declared, letting himself into the room. He had gone to check on Portlyn and Tawni, who were helping Sonny prepare in a side room. "Man, wait until you see your blushing bride, Cooper. She looks hot!"

"Hot?" I repeated, taking a threatening step closer to the comedian.

"Not hot hot," Nico said nervously. "I mean, of course you'll think she's hot, but I don't because - I mean, I do, she's a very good looking girl, but…" With every word he said, I felt my grimace deepening. "You know what? I'm just going to sit down before I say something I'll really regret."

He sat in one of the few pews, which were only occupied by my fellow Mackenzie Falls members and Zora. Sonny and I came to an agreement rather quickly after announcing we really were going to get married: we would only tell our best friends. If we let either set of parents know, they would find a way to stop us. If we let anyone besides our cast mates know, Tween Weekly or some other reporter would find out and televise the ceremony. Of course, I wouldn't mind having the wedding on TV (at least then I wouldn't have to pay $75 for a DVD copy), but Sonny reminded me that our parents could find out too easily that way.

"Remember how they found out we were engaged?" she had asked. "I don't want to go through the silent treatment again. Let's just tell them when they come home."

It was crazy, really. Me agreeing to get married the same day Sonny suggested it. I was the one who wanted to get married right after I asked her, but she had to be a girl about it and say she wanted to wait. Why had she changed her mind? Did she have some kind of secret motive behind her desire to get married? Why would she randomly choose tonight?

'_Because,'_ the voice I was growing to hate spoke up. _'She's pregnant and she's going to start showing soon. At least if she's married, the public won't frown at her as much as they would if she were single and having a baby!'_

'_For the last time, she is not pregnant!' _I protested. _'She loves me. That's why she wants to get married tonight. She loves me and can't wait to have Chaddy all to herself.'_

"This is sooo exciting!" Chastity squealed, breaking me from my argument. She was wearing a blue dress and a smile much too large for her face. "Can you believe it, Marta? Chad and Sonny are really getting married!"

"I know!" Marta exclaimed, making sure her eyes met mine before giving her best friend a knowing smile. "Just think about it, Chast…In a few minutes, there will be two Cooper's working at Condor! Do you think Chad's ego will rub off on Sonny?"

Turning my attention from my female cast mates, I turned to see what Skylar and Ferguson were up to. They sat on either side of Zora, who apparently was teaching some kind of new game. I couldn't tell what the game was from where I stood, but the smirk on Zora's face and looks of despair on Skylar's and Ferguson's told me she was making sure she had a good advantage.

Catching my eye, Skylar began opening his mouth. Uh oh…It was never a good sign when my cast mates tried speaking without scripts.

"Chad," he said proudly, as though whatever he was about to say would be the most important sentence I'd ever heard. "I just want to say one thing before you have this wedding: I wish you and Sonny the worst of luck."

Before I could ask him if he meant to say 'best', there was a pounding of feet as Portlyn ran into the room. She glanced at me long enough to mouth the words, "She's ready!" and then continued on to the piano. Sitting down, making herself as tall as absolutely possible, she began playing the Wedding March.

A hush fell over the room as every head turned around, waiting for the back doors to open and reveal Sonny. The doors did open - but instead of Sonny coming through, Blondie was there. She took her time walking down the aisle, soaking in every second she could of being in the spotlight. She came to a stop in the front of the room, standing across from me and, for maybe the first time in her life, nodding toward the doors again, actually asking me to take my attention off her.

I was glad I did. Every doubt about getting married, every question about why Sonny chose tonight, flew away after I laid eyes on the girl I loved.

Her dress was simple but fit her figure perfectly. Her make-up, whether done by the girls or herself, looked just right in the soft light of the church. Her brunette hair, usually down because she was too tired to find a fancy style when she woke up in the morning, was twisted into a complicated style, held together with a tiny yellow butterfly clip.

Every single worry disappeared as Grady walked with Sonny, bringing her closer to my side. I took her hand the second she was near enough. We stood, facing each other, staring into the other's eyes. Sonny was crying; I would never admit it out loud, but I almost was, too.

The ceremony flew by. I had no idea how I recited the right lines - at the end, I didn't remember hearing a word the minister said - but somehow, I must have done something right because the line I was waiting for finally came:

"You may now kiss the bride."

I did just that, sealing the deal. Sonny Cooper was officially mine - forever and for always.

* * *

The wedding dress was gone, replaced by a simple nightgown. I told Chad I wouldn't mind going back to his house (there was no sense in paying money for an expensive honeymoon when no one was at his home in the first place), but he insisted on spending our first night as a married couple in a hotel room.

I didn't like the hotel room. For one thing, there was only bed. When Chad came out of the bathroom, where he was slipping into his own pajamas, we would have no choice but to sleep together. And, if I knew anything about honeymoons, we were supposed to do more than sleep…

All my courage from earlier in the day had disappeared. When I came to Chad's, he had no idea what I had in mind. I could spring it on him and it would be spur of the moment and, if things went bad or he ended up not liking it, I could blame it on poor planning. But now…Now he was expecting it to happen. And knowing that he was expecting it, that I no longer had any choice in the matter because I was his wife…it left me feeling nervous.

Very nervous.

So nervous that all I really wanted to do was lock myself in the bathroom and throw up every bite of food I'd eaten during the day.

"Sonny?"

Chad stood just outside the bathroom, rubbing the back of his neck. So, I wasn't the only one feeling nervous. I chuckled to myself. Who would have thought that the great Chad Dylan Cooper would be nervous about having relations with his wife?

"We don't have to…" Chad's voice trailed off, leaving me to guess what he was talking about. "You know, if you don't want to."

"Why don't we just go to bed?" I suggested, "And whatever happens happens?"

Chad nodded his consent. He gave me a chance to crawl under the covers before turning off the light. Then, after clearing his throat several times and taking his sweet time finding the huge piece of furniture, he joined me between the sheets.

We reached pretty much the same point we got to in his bedroom before he stopped me from going any further. This time, there was no protest as my hands roamed his body. However, when he began peeling my clothes from my body…

Something snapped. I had no idea if it was because the room was dark, just like the car was on the night of my interview. Maybe I was just going crazy because I'd never had sex with someone before, not someone I actually wanted to have sex with. Whatever the reason was, the moment Chad tried taking off my clothes, I freaked out. Instead of his hand reaching for my shirt, I saw calloused fingers ripping my dress in two. Instead of soft, warm lips meeting mine, I felt the forced roughness of a stranger. When Chad frantically asked if I was alright, I heard a different voice saying, "Sonny…What a nice name!'

Pushing Chad off me, I jumped from the bed and ran to the corner. I sat down, drawing my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I couldn't stop rocking back and forth, back and forth.

Chad was the only one in the room with me physically, but mentally, we weren't alone. I may never be alone again. The man, the strange man who forced me into his car that night a few months ago…apparently he was still very much a part of me. He was all I could think about now, all I could feel when Chad tried touching me, all I could see when I closed my eyes.

'_And I'll never be able to totally get rid of him, no matter how hard I try. When I look into the face of my baby…I'll always know who its real father is.'_

Chad, still sitting dumbfounded on the edge of the bed, deserved an explanation for my behavior. I should have told him everything - what the strange man did, how I was pregnant with his child - but I knew there was no way I would be able to tell him the entire story. Not tonight. Not on our wedding night.

'_Baby steps, Sonny. Baby steps. Tell him everything - but break it into bits and pieces.'_

"I need to tell you something," I said, not realizing I was crying until I heard how choked up my voice was. "On the night of my interview with Tina Snippet, when I came home wearing nothing but a blanket…"

It was hardest thing I ever had to say, but I knew it needed to be done. Sucking in all the air I could, biting my lip for support, I forced the words through my lips:

"The reason I came home without my clothes is because I was raped."


	11. The Baby's Out of the Bag

Hi again!

Hey, look at me. I just updated a day or two ago, and now I'm back with another chapter!

I know what you're thinking: What? Another chapter? Hey, lifeisveryshortsomai wasn't lying about finishing this story!

I really wasn't lying. I am going to finish. Yay!

So, in the last chapter, I wasn't looking when I put the date. April 18 would have been a Monday and I said it was the weekend...So pretend Sonny and Chad got married on April 17, which would have been a Sunday. That means this chapter begins Sunday night/Monday morning. Are we all good now? Sorry for that error!

Thank you once again for the reviews. I love them! Please keep sending them? Because you love me?

Credit for this chapter's title goes to Trinityflowerofmemory and my new friend on Twitter called Channy Addict, who both helped me brainstorm ideas!

Um...I guess I'll shut up and let you guys read now.

REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nope. Nada.

* * *

Chapter Ten

The Baby's Out of the Bag

_April 18, Continued _

Chad Dylan Cooper was acting like a complete and crazy lunatic.

"We have to get you medical attention right away," he informed me, running around the hotel room like a chicken who'd had his head cut off. "Why are you just sitting there? Help me pack!"

I didn't move from my position atop the bed because A. I had only taken one suitcase with me for the overnight trip and opened it once to remove my pajamas, leaving everything else exactly where it was supposed to be, and B. I did not need Chad rushing me to the hospital. If circumstances were different, if my being raped was the worst of my problems, I would have placated Chad by getting the medical help he believed I needed. However, knowing fully well that there was a three month old baby inside me, I couldn't risk Chad taking me to see any doctor. It would be easy, too easy, for the doctor to tell Chad the truth when the actor demanded to know if there were any side-affects left from the rape: that there was absolutely nothing wrong with me - or the baby.

"Why do I need medical attention?" I asked, trying my best to laugh off the suggestion. "It was just a rape, Chad. It's not like I'm dying, you know."

"Dying?" Why, in the middle of a situation he considered a crisis, did he only hear half of what I said? "I don't know what you do over there in Chuckle City, but when you're with me, you do not throw around words like that for fun, Sonny. Got it?"

"Sorry…I didn't mean it literally." Rubbing my arms nervously, I tried to think of another excuse. There was no way Chad could take me to a hospital, not if I wanted to tell him about the baby my way, in my own time. There had to be something I could say… "Can't we wait until tomorrow? It's two-thirty in the morning. Why don't we go to bed and if you still feel this way when we wake up-,"

"No, no, no!" Chad shook his head firmly. "Your interview with Tina was…what, back in January? It's April now. Your body has had three months to sit around and fester in whatever disease the guy gave you - if he gave you anything, which I hope he didn't. Trust me, getting you checked out tonight will be better than waiting until tomorrow."

He was too frenzied to listen to logic. There had to be another approach I could use, something that would convince him we were doing the wrong thing.

"We can't go to the hospital!" I exclaimed, drawing Chad's attention from his packing. Maybe I sounded a little too happy about finally thinking of a good excuse. "We can't go to the hospital, Chad. Someone will see us going - whether it's a reporter or one of the doctors lets it slip that we came in - and then, the whole world will know what happened to me. Do you want something like this all over the news? Do you want all of Hollywood knowing I've been raped?"

I watched as Chad's expression changed. I knew him well enough to recognize he was having some sort of internal conflict. He wanted to get me medical attention and he wanted to do it right away. Chad Dylan Cooper always got exactly what he wanted; no one ever told him he was wrong before.

At the same time, he knew I was right. If we rushed to the hospital now, at this time in the morning, the public would be suspicious of what we were up to. It would be nearly impossible to keep the truth from leaking.

Considering Tawni and Portlyn were the only two who knew my story, not just the rape like Chad but everything, I wasn't ready for random strangers to find out I was pregnant. Which, even though I was just going to make sure I was alright after some weirdo had me all to himself in the back of his car, would come out in the open. The doctors would know right away what my condition was even if they weren't checking for a baby. They would know and they would sell me out to the paparazzi for sure. 'I've got a story about Sonny Munroe that will blow your socks off!' or 'I'll tell you something about Sonny…if you pay me for it.'

"I know!" Chad exclaimed suddenly. "How about, instead of taking you to an actual doctor, I just take you home and have Mom do a small check-up?"

That idea was even worse than going to a real hospital. Mrs. Cooper would find out the truth - it wouldn't surprise me at all if she was already suspicious considering she was a nurse who knew all the signs of pregnancy and I'd been spending quite a bit of time at her house, displaying those signs while locking myself in her bathroom to puke up my meals. Asking her to give me a 'small check-up' would be a way for her to confirm my condition.

"Don't be silly, Chad," I scolded. "Your parents are visiting Bryson right now. You don't want to pull them away from your brother, do you? I'll be fine, I'm sure I would know if anything was wrong by now, the rape happened - Who are you on the phone with?"

During my speech, refusing to listen to a word I said, Chad drew his cell phone form his pocket. He put a finger to his lips, asking for me to be silent instead of answering my question.

"Mommy!" he cried a few seconds later. "Listen, I have a favor to ask you…"

I was going to be in big trouble if she said yes.

* * *

My Mom was wearing nothing except a nightgown when Sonny and I arrived. I couldn't get Sonny out of the car fast enough - for some reason, she was dragging her feet, making the process slower than it had to be - but eventually, I got her through the front door. Mom, who was on her way to the door in order to greet us, was surprised when I threw Sonny into her arms.

"What are you waiting for?" I asked. "Help her!"

Maybe Sonny was right. Maybe I was overreacting a tiny bit. How could I help from doing so though? I had to keep busy, had to get her help as soon as possible, because if I took time to sit down and think through things, I would be madder than heck.

Some guy had stolen my Sonny. It was my job as her boyfriend to look out for her, to make sure she was safe every second of every day, to keep life-scarring events from coming to her. I thought she'd be safe going to an interview - it wasn't too hard a task to sit down and talk one-on-one with someone about your life - and I even denied when Sonny asked me to go with her. Now I felt horrible for making that choice. I could have gone to that interview with Sonny. I could have sat next to her while Tina Snippet shot question after question her way. I even could have found a way to answer her sex question that would not have gotten Sonny grounded by her Mother.

But I hadn't. I had chosen to let Sonny go alone. I even encouraged her to do so, telling her she would never learn what it really meant to be an actress if she always shared her spotlight with me.

It was my fault Sonny was raped. I could have fought off the guy (or hired somebody to do it. Partaking in something like that would be too dangerous. What if I ruined my perfect face and couldn't play Mackenzie for an extended period of time?). I could have, at the very least, distracted the weirdo, giving Sonny a chance to get away. I could have done _something_.

Anything would have been better than what I'd really spent that night doing: sitting around the Munroe apartment with my girlfriend's Mother, working on a birthday present while the girl I loved was having the most dramatic moment of her life happen.

Still, despite everything that was going on tonight, a wedding, Sonny's admittance, calling my family and begging them to return home, a small voice in the back of my mind was shouting for joy.

Yes, Sonny had been raped and I'm sure it was a horrible ordeal for her. It wasn't the worst thing that could have happened though. She could have been shot after the man had his fun with her. She could have gotten a million and one STDs. Or, she could have gotten pregnant.

Pregnant. The word had been floating around my mind for awhile now, but I knew it wasn't the truth. Sonny was only acting different because the rape affected her. If she had gotten pregnant that night, she would have told me about it…

Wouldn't she?

* * *

I followed Mrs. Cooper upstairs solemnly. She had to know something was up - even when I came over, I was known as the happy girl who never stopped talking - but I didn't have the energy to do so tonight. She was about to find out the truth. She was going to expose me. My own boyfriend's Mom would know the truth before Chad knew himself.

"Please excuse the mess," Mrs. Cooper apologized as I trailed behind her. "As you know, I haven't been home to clean much recently…If it's alright with you, I think we'll use Chad's room for your check-up. My husband just put Kimberly to bed. She was not happy when we told her we needed to head back home. She's not exactly a morning person. I know her room is a little whiter, a little closer to a hospital setting, but I really would like to let her sleep…"

"Chad's room is fine," I assured her.

Once we were in the room with the door closed (just in case Chad or anyone else tried poking their head in), Mrs. Cooper set to work. She checked my eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. She listened to my breathing. Once, while she was placing her hands in different places and instructing me to breathe deeper, her fingers brushed my stomach. I flinched and I thought I saw her eyes widen, but just like that, the moment passed.

Once she was finished with the first part of my examination, Mrs. Cooper asked me to take a seat. Chad had no chairs in his room - just a racecar bed - so I thought about plopping on the floor. However, when his Mom sat on the bed, she patted a spot next to her, inviting me to do the same. I did.

It was silent for a few moments as Mrs. Cooper scribbled on a piece of paper, probably writing down all my results. Finally, she looked up at me.

"Well, although I don't have the proper tools here to give you the full and complete check-up Chad wants you to have, everything that I was able to test looks fine," she stated. "Is it alright if I ask you a few questions?"

I knew this part was coming. I also knew, no matter how much I wanted to lie, there was no way I'd be able to. Darn my high-pitched lying voice!

"Now, I had just woken up when I took Chad's call," Mrs. Cooper started when I nodded my head, giving her permission to go ahead, "But I believe he said something about a rape?"

I found the words rolling out of my mouth before I could stop them. I told Mrs. Cooper everything - how I went to the interview and hid out afterwards until everyone left so I wouldn't have to deal with people asking me about my and Chad's love life. How I figured I would walk home because it was such a short distance. How a car pulled up and I was stupid enough to believe the man who got out of it was a fan.

Mrs. Cooper sat there listening, not interrupting at all. It was almost like she knew how much I needed to talk, how I needed to tell the whole story to someone. Yes, it was nice having Tawni and Portlyn know the truth, but they were my age. They weren't adults who could give me advice. Just knowing that Mrs. Cooper was somebody older, someone capable of understanding exactly what I was saying instead of just thinking, 'Wow…sucks to be you!'…It helped.

By the time I finished (It might have been an hour later, or perhaps as short as ten minutes), Mrs. Cooper set aside her paper. With her eyes boring into mine, refusing to blink so she could hold my gaze, she asked the question I was dreading more than anything:

"Have you been experiencing anything strange since the rape? You know, anything like feeling more tired than usual? Or weight gain?"

This time, I couldn't say a word in response. I sat there, my eyes on the floor, my foot tapping like it was experiencing an earthquake only my body could feel. I felt the tears at the corners of my eyes, threatening to escape, but I refused to let them. I had to stay strong. One false move and I would break down.

"Sonny," Mrs. Cooper pressed, her voice softer. "Have you had a period since that night in January?"

Slowly, without my telling it to do so, I felt my head shaking back and forth.

A hand flew to my shoulder. It had to belong to Mrs. Cooper since she was the only one in the room with me, but there were too many tears blurring my vision for me to confirm whether or not it was her touch. Arms wrapped around me, pulling me in for a hug that smelled of lilacs and daisies.

"I have a feeling you haven't been to a doctor since January either, have you?" a voice questioned. "Come on. I'll take you into my office now."

The arms never left as I stood from Chad's bed. I still felt them encircling me as I walked out of the room, down the stairs to the first landing where Chad was waiting, and even as I climbed into a car. I heard someone following into the garage - Chad's voice demanding to know what was going on - but I didn't say a word the whole time. How could I speak when I was crying so hard?

Wordlessly, her hand resting on my knee even as she grabbed the wheel, Mrs. Cooper drove me to the hospital she worked as a nurse at.

It was time to confirm the inevitable once and for all.

* * *

Once Kimberly woke up several hours after Mom and Sonny left, she kept my mind from repeating, 'When are they getting back? When are they getting back?' on a never-ending loop. She wanted breakfast and refused to wait for Dad to crawl out of bed.

"Make me some pancakes!" she demanded.

"Chad Dylan Cooper doesn't even make pancakes for Chad Dylan Cooper," I reminded her. "If you want pancakes, march over to the kitchen and make your own."

Too bad I forgot that when you told Kimberly something, whether you were joking around or not, she always took it seriously. I told her to make her own breakfast, so that's exactly what she decided to do. I found our just how awful a cook she was when I heard a huge _BOOM _and ran into the kitchen.

Standing in the middle of the room with a black cloud of smoke surrounding her, flour covering her body from head to toe, and dishes piled high both on the counter and floor, Kimberly gave me a huge smile.

"Breakfast is ready!" she said happily, holding up a frying pan filled with charcoal.

For the rest of the morning, I kept Kimberly out of the kitchen so the maids could clean her mess. She acted even more annoying than usual. Instead of asking me to play with her or turn on the TV so she could find a So Random! marathon, she wanted a replacement for the breakfast she ruined. Oh, not just any replacement, either. She had to eat at the fanciest restaurant in Hollywood, where they charged thirty dollars for one piece of bacon.

After driving Kimberly to the restaurant, paying for her expensive meal, and listening to her complain about how it wasn't made exactly to her liking, I returned to the house, hoping Mom would be back. She wasn't and, to my surprise, Dad was gone, too. He left a note on the fridge, explaining that he was going out for awhile and would I mind keeping an eye on my younger sister.

There was only one problem with Dad's request: the weekend was over, which meant I had to return to Condor. How could I go to work and watch Kimberly at the same time?

The answer came to me while I drove to the studio, doing my best to ignore the off-key singing coming from the back seat: I would trick the Randoms into watching her for me.

"Hey, Kim!" I called to her, studying her reflection in my rear-view mirror. "How would you like to spend the day with Nico, Grady, Tawni, and Zora?"

"That would be…AWESOME!" Kimberly shouted happily.

I went straight to the So Random! set, clutching Kimberly's hand. She had never been to the studio before, even though she'd begged me more than once to let her tag along. It was like Christmas morning. Everything she saw left her mouth hanging open in awe, her voice screaming out in delight. I smiled proudly. Was I the best big brother on the face of the planet or what?

Once we reached the Prop House, Kimberly ran inside, hugging each surprised Random in turn and telling them how much fun they were going to have over the course of the day. When the Randoms caught on to what she meant, understanding that she would be with them for the remainder of the afternoon, they turned their attention to me-

-But I fled before they could catch me, shouting, "Have fun, suckers!" over my shoulder.

I tried calling Sonny more than once. She never came over to my set to visit me, she wasn't at lunch, and as the end of the day drew nearer and I snuck over to her set, she wasn't there, either. Mom told me just before she took Sonny away that they were heading to the hospital. Had they ended up spending the entire day there?

Kimberly told me all about her day on the way home. I wasn't really listening to her (which she tried her best to force me into doing by slapping my arm as hard as she could); I was too busy worrying. What if Sonny still wasn't back? Why did Mom take her to the hospital in the first place? Was something serious going on?

I almost jumped for joy when I saw Mom's car was back. Kimberly, who wanted to take her time getting out of my car to get back at me for not listening to her, screamed in surprise when I opened her door, scooped her into my arms, and carried her inside. She cried in pain when I dumped her on the floor (Dad asked me to watch her, not be nice to her). Then, I opened my mouth and let out an ear-splitting shout: "MOM!"

"I'm in the living room!" was her reply.

Sure enough, there she sat, her nose inches away from the screen of the family computer. How could she do something so commonplace when I was worried sick about my girlfriend?

"Before you even ask, yes, I know what's up with Sonny, and no, I'm not going to tell you what's going on," she said, never turning to face me.

I stood there, dumbfounded. My own Mother was turning her back on me. She knew what was up with Sonny (Wait…there was something up? I thought she assured me everything was fine, that the rape happened months ago and any side-effects would already be gone?) and she was refusing to let me in on the secret. But…I was Chad Dylan Cooper! Nobody left Chad Dylan Cooper in the dark!

"You - You have to tell me!" I said firmly. "I'm your son. Are you telling me that you would actually keep a secret from me, your own flesh and blood?"

Sighing loudly like I was asking her to cut off her own leg, not answer an easy question, Mom swirled the chair around. There were dark circles under her eyes, signaling that she had been awake for a long time and desperately wanted to sleep. I knew that was partly my fault - I was the one who called her in the middle of the night - but apparently, I'd done the right thing. Something was going on with Sonny, and, if both she and Mom were keeping it from me, it had to be something big.

"Look, Chad," Mom began, "This is something Sonny needs to tell you about herself, in her own time, when she's ready to do so."

"Fine!" I turned toward the door. "I'll just go ask her now-,"

"Chad!" Mom called and I stopped walking, hoping my 'I'm-Chad-and-I'm-going-to-find-out-the-truth-anyway-I-can' act had convinced her to tell me the truth. "I wouldn't talk to Sonny right now if I were you. I just dropped her off at her home less than half an hour ago. Give her some time."

"Some time to do what?" I demanded.

Kimberly picked that moment to bound into the room, screaming a greeting to Mom and jumping into her arms. I watched as the computer chair bent backwards - Mom and Kim were lucky it didn't fall over - and Mother and daughter began talking excitedly. Knowing my chance to get information had passed, I grumbled as I headed to the stairs.

"Huh?" I heard Mom say as I headed in the direction of my room. "What do you mean you didn't go to school today, Kimberly?"

Ducking my head, hoping Mom wouldn't call me back to explain how I'd totally forgotten it was a school day (which was true. While worrying about Sonny, the fact that my younger sister was supposed to be in class slipped my mind), I ran to my room, shutting the door quickly. The last thing I needed was to worry about being grounded, too.

'_That's alright,' _I told myself. _'Mom doesn't have to tell me what's wrong with Sonny…I'll just spy on her until she accidentally lets it slip!'_

The moment came later that evening, after dinner was served and Dad took Kimberly into the living room to watch some movie she was begging to see. Mom excused herself, heading into Kimberly's room with a phone in her hand.

"Chad?" Dad asked when I started creeping after Mom. "Aren't you going to watch the movie with us?"

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "I only watch movies starring Chad Dylan Cooper."

"Well, Zac Effron is in this one!" Kimberly informed me. "He's ten times the actor you'll ever be!"

I would have stayed and argued with her, but Mom could be calling somebody important. Sticking my tongue out to let Kimberly know she was wrong, I continued climbing up the stairs.

Kimberly's room was right next to mine, which was annoying whenever Mom and Dad let her have all her friends over for sleepovers. I was stuck with perfect hearing of squeals and giggles all night long. However, when I was trying to listen in to one of Mom's private phone calls, which she usually made while Dad distracted Kimberly so she could have an empty room to use, I loved having our rooms side by side.

Mom was just dialing out when I entered my room. Pressing my ear against the wall, I could hear the music the buttons made as she pushed them, putting in somebody's number. Then, I could hear a phone ringing as Mom waited for somebody to answer.

"Hi, Connie," Mom greeted in a strained voice. "This is Judy Cooper…Chad's Mom."

She was on the phone with Mrs. Munroe!

"Yes, yes, I'm doing well, thanks for asking," Mom went on. "I don't know if you remember or not, but I work as a nurse at the local hospital? Yes, I just wanted to let you know that Sonny came to see me early this morning…No, she's not sick, everything's perfectly fine…with both her and the baby."

There was a short pause, then-

"Oh my goodness…You had no idea she was pregnant?" I could hear Mom's furious blush in her voice. "I - I thought she would have told you by now. I'm so sorry…I never would have called if I knew…I am so sorry you had to find out this way, Connie. Please let Sonny know I didn't mean to sell her out."

I didn't have to listen to the rest of the conversation. Just like Mrs. Munroe, I'd just been given the biggest news of my life: My Sonny, the girl who I loved more than anything, the girl who taught me how to put aside some of my Chad-ness so I could deal with the rest of the world instead of always thinking about myself, the girl who I had married less than twenty-four hours ago, was pregnant.

I had no idea who the Father was.

* * *

Well, everything was official now: I really was having a baby.

And, as strange as it was for me to say it aloud…I wasn't as stressed out about it as I'd been at the beginning. Yes, I was still scared to death that I would be in charge of another human life in less than six months. I feared Chad dumping me once he found out about the baby. Of course I worried about Mom's reaction and whether or not I would still be allowed to work on So Random!

Those fears were not nearly as important to me now as they had been three months ago; they didn't even scare me as much as they had a day ago! Mrs. Cooper allowed me to do something I'd never had the chance to do before:

She let me see my baby.

When we first arrived at the hospital, I couldn't stop crying. Mrs. Cooper sat in the car with me for a long time, just hugging me and telling me everything was going to be okay. Finally, after reminding me that if I wanted the baby to stay healthy I needed to let a doctor see me, she coaxed me from the vehicle. I followed her inside, waited with a tear-streaked face as she signed me in at the front desk, then, instead of taking a seat in the chairs where most patients sat before being allowed to their rooms, Mrs. Cooper led me to room 16B.

"Why are you sitting down?" I asked her nervously. "Aren't you going to run the appointment?"

"I'm afraid I can't," she told me. "I'm only a nurse, not a doctor trained in this kind of thing." My face must have gone white because she quickly added, "But don't worry! I'll be right next to you the whole time, Sonny."

She kept her promise. It was probably a good thing she stayed with me too because when the doctor came in, who turned out to be a very friendly looking man, I almost fled the room. One strange guy had already seen me naked. I didn't need a doctor who was a man, too!

"Sonny, wait a minute," Mrs. Cooper said when I tried to stand from the seat I'd taken beside her. "This is Doctor Peterson. He's one of the best doctors in Hollywood!"

"I wouldn't say one of the best," Dr. Peterson argued, "But I have seen a lot of woman just like you, Miss. Munroe. Girls you are scared to death to be having their first child. I'm usually pretty good at helping them to calm down."

I narrowed my eyes, glaring at Dr. Peterson. It wasn't like me to not like someone - usually I liked everyone I came in contact with - but this time, I wasn't so sure. Did I really want a man helping me through my pregnancy? Wouldn't it be a lot less embarrassing if I had a female doctor?

"She's just a little bit nervous," Mrs. Cooper explained when I remained silent. "Remember my son, the one I was telling you works on a television show? This is his girlfriend, the one who works on a rival show."

"Is that right?" Dr. Peterson asked, his eyes flying to me. "Oh, Judy has told me all about you, Miss. Munroe! Don't worry - she's never told me anything but good things." Then, he leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "Just for the record, I like comedy better than drama, too."

Unsure what to say, I sat there, glancing back and forth between Mrs. Cooper and Dr. Peterson. Had Mrs. Cooper really told her co-workers stories about me or was she lying to make me feel more comfortable? Did Dr. Peterson really like comedy better than drama or was he just saying that to break the ice between us?

"I can call in Dr. Rosen if you'd rather have her, Sonny," Dr. Peterson offered. "She's a wonderful doctor who has helped with almost as many pregnancies as I have. Should I go get her?"

For some reason, I found my head shaking no. There was something about Dr. Peterson that I liked. It could be his declaration of liking comedy. Maybe it was the familiarity I felt upon hearing him call me by my name. Whatever the reason was, I didn't want him to leave anymore than I wanted Mrs. Cooper to.

"Then I guess it's decided. I'll be your doctor for the duration of your pregnancy, Miss. Munroe. It's nice to meet you!" He nodded to the bed where the patient normally sits. "Shall we get started?"

It was weird at first to have Dr. Peterson in the room. He asked me question after question - how long ago had I gotten pregnant, did I have any idea who the Father was, what had I done so far to make sure my baby was alright - and then, after my throat felt dry from speaking so much, he asked if I could remove my pants. I turned to Mrs. Cooper and she nodded her head, letting me know it would be alright. Slowly, nervously, even though there was a man in the room, I did as I was asked.

The table beneath me was cold when I had my clothes on, and after my pants and undergarments were removed, it was freezing. I asked Mrs. Cooper several times if I could leave when Dr. Peterson exited the room, giving me a minute to collect myself before starting the procedure, but she insisted I would be fine after I adjusted to the cooler temperature. By the time Dr. Peterson returned, I was shivering a little less-

-Until I saw the gray stir-ups in his hands.

Being the good girl from Wisconsin, I had never gone to the doctor before for anything that involved taking off my pants. I knew my best friend back home, Lucy, had gone on birth control in order to make her periods lighter and she told me what they did at her appointment when she went in to get the pills. I crinkled my nose when she told me, thinking how weird it must have felt.

'_Probably not any weirder than what the stranger did to me in the car,' _I reminded myself. _'And I bet this won't hurt as much as that did, either.'_

Dr. Peterson placed my feet in the stir-ups, asked me if I was comfortable, then took out a strange looking tool.

"I just want to check and make sure everything's alright with the baby, Sonny," he explained, his instrument lowering and coming closer to me. "Let me know if anything hurts, ok?"

It didn't hurt. I let him do what he needed to do, thinking to myself the entire time how weird it was to have something inside my body like that. When Dr. Peterson removed the tool, there was a smile on his face.

"Well, everything seems to be in order," he told me. "Your baby is doing just fine for this point in your pregnancy. You're having a beautiful little-,"

"Wait!"

Mrs. Cooper and Dr. Peterson both looked at me in surprise. Up to that point, I hadn't been very vocal during the appointment.

"I don't want to know what the sex is," I told them. "I'd rather be surprised."

Dr. Peterson grinned as he said, "That's understandable. I can't be sure about the sex until we do an ultra-sound anyway. Sonny, how would you like to see your baby?"

"I can see it?" I repeated slowly.

"Of course you can!" Dr. Peterson replied. "Technically, you should have come in for your first ultra-sound a few weeks ago, but better late than never!"

He proceeded to rub a jelly-like substance on my stomach. It was cold when he first put it on, but after he picked up the machine that would allow everyone to see just what was going on inside me, I forgot about the coolness. All I could think about was the picture that was about to pop up on the screen.

And then, suddenly, there it was. A tiny little shape with a head, ears, eyes, and the smallest body I'd ever seen.

"There it is, Miss. Munroe," Dr. Peterson said proudly. "You're looking at your soon to be son or daughter."

"This is so exciting!" Mrs. Cooper cooed, squeezing my hand, which she was holding between hers.

For the first time, I agreed with her. It was exciting to see the baby - my baby - up there on the screen. I was in a daze for the rest of the appointment. I felt my body moving as Dr. Peterson left again, telling me I could put my clothes back on. I knew he was hugging me as Mrs. Cooper and I left the hospital. I stared at the pack of papers thrown in my hands before we walked through the main doors, full of helpful hints I was supposed to follow. I even managed to choke down a little bit of food when Mrs. Cooper took me out to celebrate my first ultra-sound.

All I could think about for the rest of the day was the black and white picture Dr. Peterson had handed me. It was the very first picture of my child and all I wanted to do was stare at it. Yes, my life may be ruined forever. I could lose my job, my boyfriend, everything I knew and loved. But in the end, I would have my baby and the uncontainable love that came with being a Mother.

Before now, the baby had been nothing but that: a baby growing inside of me that belonged to some guy I would never even see again. Somehow, one little picture showed me that I'd been looking at everything the wrong way. This baby wasn't the man's at all. It wasn't a child I should hate just because of what its Father had done to me.

It was a living, breathing creature, a little boy or girl, who had no idea how it had come to be. It didn't care if its Father was a creep. All it cared about was having someone who would love it and take care of it.

'_I'm that person,' _I told myself, studying the black and white photo. _'This is my son or daughter - it belongs to me, not some guy who found me in a parking lot one night. Unlike him, I'm actually going to be a parent to this child. I'm going to be a Mom.'_

Mrs. Cooper dropped me off at my apartment, promising not to tell Chad anything, agreeing to let me take care of it. I thanked her for everything before going straight to my room. All I could do was stare at my baby's picture for hours, until Mom called me into the dining room, saying dinner was ready. I joined her, eating my food faster than I normally did. Once I was done, I went back to my room and grabbed the photo again.

I was debating if I wanted to put the picture down long enough to go puke up my dinner or not when I heard my door click open. Struggling to hide the photo, I threw it behind me quickly, hoping I wouldn't bend it. Mom stayed in my doorway - that was the first sign that something was wrong. She always came into my room after forcing the door open.

"You seemed to be rushing through dinner tonight," she said, her tone dry. "Any certain reason you didn't take time to actually swallow your food?"

"No," I replied quickly - too quickly. Mom's arms folded over her chest. "I was just really hungry. Your cooking is so great, Mom!"

"You've never told me that before."

"You've never cooked a meal as great as tonight's!"

Mom nodded in my direction. "What were you looking at a minute ago?"

"What do you mean what was I looking at?" I laughed nervously. "I'm just - just getting ready to head to bed! You know how important sleep is, right? I have to make sure I get in my eight hours every night!"

"Oh, I wish you didn't have to go to bed so early!" Mom pleaded mockingly. "I would much rather have you stay up and tell me all about your ultra-sound!"

She knew. There was no point in lying to her - she could always tell when I wasn't telling her the truth. Someone told her about my ultra-sound. Now, I had no choice but to tell her about the baby.

I knew I would have to tell her someday, someday soon, but I didn't want it to be while she stood before me, glaring down like I was the worst daughter on the face of the planet. Oh well…it was too late to go back in time now.

"You really are pregnant, aren't you, Sonny?" she asked, waiting for me to confirm it. "You're having a baby."

I couldn't look at Mom as I sat on my bed, my knees drawn to my chest and temporarily acting as a headrest so I had an excuse to not meet her gaze. Silent tears were gliding down my cheeks. Biting my tongue was all I could do to keep from bursting into full on sobs.

"I never did like Chad," Mom said after several long moments. "I'm going to go track down that boy right now and give him a piece of my mind!"

"Mom, wait!"

She stopped in the doorway, the anger seeming to roll off her body as she stood there, her fingers nearly cutting into the wooden doorframe. I didn't want to tell her the truth, but it was time. No; it was time months ago when I had first gotten pregnant. Tonight, with the ultra-sound picture filled with fingerprints, I was at my breaking point of holding the secret.

"You can't go give Chad a piece of your mind because…he doesn't even know about the baby. The reason he doesn't know isn't because it's his and I was too afraid to tell him. He doesn't know for the same reason you just found out: it's not his child."

The hatred in Mom's eyes as she glared down at me would be a sight burned in my memory forever. It was a look no parent ever wanted to give to their own flesh and blood, an expression where their face turns red, their eyes become bloodshot, and they can't do anything but shake their heads because if they open their mouths, they just may yell at you loud enough to break your eardrums.

"Sonny Munroe," she said, taking a break between every syllable, her eyes closing as she tried to control herself. "There is no way in this world I raised you to be one of those girls who sleeps with every guy she sees-,"

"I wasn't sleeping around." My voice was so small, I wasn't even sure if Mom could hear it. "It happened the night I went in for my interview with Tina Snippet. The man - I thought he was just a fan, Mom, I really did! But he didn't just want my autograph. He'd never even heard of me before! All he wanted was…He…He…"

I didn't need to finish my sentence for Mom to understand. She rushed to my side, wrapping her arms around me as tightly as she could, whispering to me everything was going to be alright. The tears I'd been trying to hold in, not only during the conversation but since the day I'd found out I was pregnant, escaped as Mom held me in her arms. She rocked me back and forth, kissed me over and over again, but it wasn't long before her voice became weepy and I knew she was crying just as hard as I was, which only made me cry harder.

For the first time in years, I cried like the little baby growing inside me.

"Isn't that cute? Mother and daughter bonding over their new addition to the family."

Mom and I both jumped in surprise. Neither of us had heard the apartment door open. It must have done so though because Chad had taken Mom's old position in the doorway of my room.

"Chad!" I cried, jumping to my feet. "What - What are you doing here?"

"Like you don't already know!" He looked angrier than I'd ever seen him. I couldn't understand why - until his eyes floated down to my stomach. "So, what my Mom told your Mom is true, isn't it?"

"Your Mom…"

Slowly, I turned to Mom, who avoided my gaze. So that was how she found out about the baby.

Without saying another word, Chad turned on his heel and stalked away. I ran after him. I couldn't let him leave. He didn't know the whole story…did he? Had his Mom told him everything? I had a hard time believing she had - my mom, after all, didn't know the baby wasn't Chad's - but on the other hand, Mrs. Cooper told me she wouldn't tell Chad anything at all. How much did he know? Did he know the baby wasn't his, who it really belonged to? Is that why he was leaving instead of talking it out? Was he really that upset with me?

"Chad, wait!" I called after him, feeling the tears coming on again. "It's not what you think! I can explain if you let me-,"

The blue orbs I normally loved were full of spite when they turned their attention back to me.

"I trusted you, Sonny. I trusted you to always be faithful to me." His gaze fell to my stomach. "I guess I was wrong to do so."

Watching him walk through the door and knowing, somehow deep down being certain, that he was never going to come back…

That hurt more than anything I'd feel the rest of my life. I was sure giving birth wouldn't hurt as bad as helplessly doing nothing after the door slammed behind Chad. At least in the birthing room, my heart wouldn't shatter into a million tiny pieces.


	12. Never Looking Back

Hello once again, my lovely readers!

You have no idea how excited I am that you guys are STILL following this story! I miss reading your reviews. They make me smile and laugh and cry and...I DON'T DESERVE YOU! I'm such a horrible person, this story should have been finished ages ago. I'm just happy you guys aren't upset with me for taking so long to get over my writer's block. You're the best. You all should get some of the reindeer cookies I baked last night!

Ok, let's get serious here for a minute: This might be the last chapter you guys get for now. I'm going to take a short break from this story (and yes, this time I really do mean short) because I have to work on a story for therapy. I will be returning to this one ASAP. I'm having too much fun not to finish it.

So, with all that said, thank you sooooooooo much for your reviews and I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: Yeah. If I owned swac, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be a Disney channel show.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

Never Looking Back

_April 19_

"DelMingo Studio, this is Shayanna speaking. How can I help you today?"

I couldn't believe I was about to do it. My hand picked up the phone, my finger dialed the number, and before I really thought about whether or not I was making the right decision, the other line was already ringing. Well, why shouldn't I call Shayanna? It wasn't like I had a reason to stay at Condor anymore.

Sonny was pregnant. She was the only thing keeping me at Condor. Working at DelMingo would pay a lot more than Mackenzie Falls, I would finally get away from my brainless cast mates (other than Portlyn; she I would miss), Dakota Condor wouldn't be around to threaten my job all the time, and Shayanna was a lot nicer than Mr. Condor. What was there to lose by taking the job she offered me on All the Days of Our Lives, a soap opera that was sure to soar in ratings with me playing the lead role?

Those were all pros about working at DelMingo. The cons?

…I couldn't think of any.

"Hello?" Shayanna's voice called, reminding me I was on the phone. "Is anybody there? I'm going to hang up if you don't say something in the next ten seconds."

"Don't hang up!" I said quickly. "It's Chad Dylan Cooper. I was just wondering…Is it possible for me to work on All the Days of Our Lives without Sonny coming with me?"

"Sonny decided not to work with DelMingo?" Shayanna asked. "Aw…What a shame! I was really looking forward to working with both of you together!" She sighed loudly. "Well, one of you is better than neither of you. Of course your job offer is still good! Come down to the studio whenever you get the chance and we'll start going over the final details before filming begins."

"Would it be alright if I came out tomorrow?"

It wasn't like there was a reason to wait. I'd let Mr. Condor know I would be leaving. I was eighteen, which meant Mom and Dad couldn't make me stay at home. Sonny…Honestly, I never wanted to see her face again, which I would have to do if I continued at Condor. Why not head to DelMingo?

Mom was not happy when I told her I was leaving. She didn't understand why I didn't want to see Sonny, why I was so upset with her during a time when, in Mom's words, 'she needs all the support she can get'.

"You're just going to take off?" she asked, following me to the basement where I knew the suitcases were. "Your girlfriend, the girl who you claim to love, just told you she was raped and is going to have a baby. Instead of sticking with her, you're going to let her fend for herself? You're just going to accept a job at some studio an hour from here and use it as an excuse to run away from home?"

"I'm not running away," I protested. "I was offered this job before I knew Sonny was…having problems. I planned on taking it before everything happened."

"Change your plans! You can't leave Sonny right now, Chad. She's a fragile girl going through something no teenager should ever have to go through. You need to keep the job you have now, march over to Sonny's house and apologize to both her and her Mother for what you said to them, step up to the plate, and take responsibility for-,"

"For what?" I interrupted, turning to face Mom for the first time. "Take responsibility for what? In case you've forgotten, the baby is not mine. I have no responsibility."

Mom's jaw dropped at my words. Finding the suitcase I wanted, I headed toward the staircase. I heard her following me and knew her lecturing was not finished just yet.

"Chad Dylan Cooper," she said firmly. "You and Sonny have been dating for two years. Two freaking years! If you choose to leave now just because the baby isn't yours, you are turning your back on the best thing that has ever happened to you. I don't know what you're thinking - that you can leave now and eventually Sonny will come to you on her knees, begging for forgiveness - but you're not thinking right! She will never be a part of your life if you leave now."

I had one simple response: "Chad Dylan Cooper does what Chad Dylan Cooper wants to do, not what his Mother advises him to do."

"If that's true, then Chad Dylan Cooper is not the same son I raised."

I thought about Mom's words once I was in my bedroom, packing the suitcase with my clothes and other essentials needed when you're a star as big as me. What did she mean when she said I wasn't the same son she raised? Did she expect me to go running to Sonny and play the role of her knight in shining armor? What was I supposed to do? Stick by her side through the pregnancy, a pregnancy she had lied to me about in the first place, and once the baby was born, stand in for the Father who refused to accept his role?

'_Fat chance!' _I thought, laughing at the very idea. _'Sonny was the one who scampered off, found herself someone to sleep with, and now she's made her bed. Why should I have to deal with her mistake? Besides…if she really wanted my help, she would have told me about everything back in January when it took place. Why didn't she tell me? I don't know. Maybe she has some kind of secret crush on this guy, whoever he is.'_

It hurt, just thinking about the brunette actress. I'd thought about her every day since she moved to Hollywood. Her name kept popping up no matter what I was doing. I could be going over lines for the next Mackenzie Falls episode and I would interchange a word with her name. Eating lobster in the commissary reminded me of the time she joined the Falls and spoke through her lobster. Even going outside for a walk on a bright, sunshiny day made me think of her. Her name was Sonny, for goodness sake!

When Portlyn, Tawni, and Sonny first tried tricking me two years ago, having Sonny put on a show by pretending to fall for me then dumping me at the last second, I was upset. I was not the kind of guy who fell for one girl and one girl only; it just wasn't in my nature. There was something different about Sonny though, something I couldn't explain then and can't explain any better today. I thought, even during that initial week of trying to win her over, that our relationship would last much, much longer than any I'd been in before. Sonny was worth the fight. She was the girl I never wanted to let go.

Sonny as a friend and Sonny as a girlfriend were two completely different scenarios. Sonny as a friend was a girl who fought with me twenty-four hours a day in a desperate attempt to hide her true feelings. Sonny as a girlfriend was a girl who still fought with me so I wouldn't always have the upper-hand between the two of us. I loved dating her - being able to hold her hand whenever I wanted, watching her laugh without being accused of staring, kissing her lips whenever I felt like it - and I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was the one person who could change me. She was the only girl I could imagine spending my entire life with.

That was why I asked her to marry me.

Maybe it was my marriage proposal that chased Sonny into the arms of another man. After all, we were only seventeen when I popped the question. It was possible she got scared, believed I was moving too fast, and when she was coming home from Tina's interview and saw a guy willing to give her an evening of fun without the baggage of marriage…

'_No,'_ I argued with myself, shaking that thought away. _'Sonny did not go out looking for someone to sleep with. She's not that kind of girl.'_

Whether Sonny was looking for a way to relieve the stress I put on her by asking for her hand in marriage or not, it didn't change the fact that she was having a baby. She was having a baby with somebody not named Chad Dylan Cooper.

As much as I would never say so out loud, I knew being with Sonny now would be too hard. I'd have to watch her every day, become a witness to her growing belly and all the other annoying things that came with pregnancy. It would be bearable if I knew it was my child. Knowing it belonged to somebody else, that some other man had gotten my girl pregnant…

And what about after the baby was born? Did Mom have any idea how hard it would be to cradle the infant in my arms, look down into its face, and see unrecognizable features? Every time I looked at the child, I wouldn't be reminded of the love blossoming between Sonny and I. All I would see would be a loathing that would grow stronger as time went by. A loathing toward Sonny for allowing the pregnancy to happen. A loathing toward the baby for coming into the world. A loathing toward the man who ruined my life just because he couldn't keep his hands to himself.

I loved Sonny and I was certain a piece of me always would. That's why I needed to get away before I did or said something that would hurt her more than I'd already done.

The phone calls started coming while I was still driving to DelMingo. Not even an hour away from home and already people wanted to pester me. I glanced at the caller ID every time I heard my phone ring.

It never read Sonny's name.

"Chad!" Portlyn exclaimed when I answered a call from her a week or two after arriving at the new studio. "Where are you?"

"Portlyn," I replied calmly. "I need you to look after everyone at the Falls. They need someone to lead them, someone who can keep them from standing around clueless all day long. Since I'm gone, I need you to do it."

"Since you're gone," Portlyn repeated. "You know, there's an easier solution to that problem than asking me to fill your shoes: Come home!"

"I'm hanging up now."

"Don't you dare hang up on me, Cooper! Do you have any idea what you're doing to Sonny? She hasn't been to work since you left. No one has even seen her in almost two weeks! Come home, talk to her, and-,"

"I'm sorry, but your allotted time for this call has run out. Thank you for calling and please don't try again."

"Chad, I swear, if you hang up-,"

I never heard the end of her threat.

The only reason I answered when Tawni's name appeared on my screen was because she would not stop calling. No matter how many times I hit ignore, the phone would begin ringing again two seconds later. Finally, sick of not being able to use my phone without Tawni's name popping up, I brought it to my ear and shouted, "What?"

"Look, Cooper. Sonny had enough to deal with without having to worry about you and your silent treatment!"

It was a strange way to begin a conversation. Then again, screaming at her instead of uttering a pretty little hello was unusual, too. I decided it was best to follow Tawni's lead and skip the small talk.

"Sonny had enough to deal with?" I repeated, taking the cell phone away from my ear long enough to make sure I was getting a clear signal. "I don't know how much you know about your funny little friend right now, Blondie, but she's pregnant with somebody else's baby. Whatever problems she's dealing with are ones she brought on herself."

"Did you listen to her long enough to find out who the baby's father is?" Tawni demanded, sounding angrier by the second.

"Of course I did!" I informed her before pausing. "She doesn't know who he is! All she knows is that she cheated on me."

"She wasn't cheating on you! Listen to me and listen good because I'm only going to say it one time: Sonny didn't run off to have sex. She was raped."

"I know."

A long period of silence met my ears.

"You - You already knew that?" Tawni stuttered. "Sonny told you what happened…And you still decided to leave?"

"Why would I stay? Sonny is pregnant. The baby isn't mine. What reason do I have to stay with her?"

"She was raped!"

I didn't understand why Tawni kept repeating herself. I already knew Sonny had been raped. Wasn't that the whole problem?

"She cheated on me," I said a second time. "I don't care if she was raped or if she threw herself at someone willingly. The conclusion is the same. She is having a baby that will never be mine."

"You are so stupid!"

"Hey, listen up, Blondie-,"

"No, YOU listen up, Cooper!" I was too stunned to say anything. No one had ever dared to speak to me that way before. "You need to look at this from Sonny's point of view! Here she is, this girl who loves you and your huge ego for a reason beyond my understanding. She loves you and she's scared to death right now of everything. She was scared to tell Portlyn and I what was going on, but she did because she knew if she tried telling you, you would do exactly what you ended up doing: leaving. She tried everything she could think of, Chad. Believe it or not, but she even considered killing the baby. That's how much she cares about you. She thought about killing another human life so you would always stick around."

There was a short pause while Tawni, to my best guess, tried calming down. Everything she'd just said had been pretty much screamed right in my ear. I had the beginning of a headache.

"Sonny lost everything that night. This man, whoever he is, took more than her virginity. He left a broken girl behind, just so he could have a little bit of fun. She's not ready to have a baby yet. She's so sweet, so fun-loving, so…" Tawni drew a deep breath. "When Sonny first moved here from Wisconsin, I would have been the first person to wish something like this on her. I was like you. I was the star of So Random! and I didn't want to give my spot up to anyone. Before I knew her, this would have been exactly what I wanted for Sonny, for something so horrible to happen to her that I would get my show back. But now that I'm semi-friends with her…I wish I was the pregnant one."

"Yeah, right," I scoffed. "You really expect me to believe that if it were possible, you'd trade places with Sonny? How dumb do you think I am?"

"I think you're as dumb as a sack of potatoes," Tawni replied, "But that's beside the point. I don't envy what Sonny's going through right now. No one wants to have a baby when they're only seventeen. Still…I really do wish it was me instead of her. I love my job and everything, but quite frankly, there's not one person who would care if I ended up pregnant."

"That's not true-,"

"Have you ever met my family?" Tawni pressed on, not waiting for an answer. "My Mom would be angry, but only because she would no longer have a job as a manager. My Dad…I haven't even spoken to him since I was five. Mr. Condor would fire me, but So Random! would go on. Nico, Grady, and Zora…well, they would mess around too much to do the show themselves, but Sonny could get them to work. If I had to leave in order to raise my child, in the long run, it wouldn't make too big of a difference."

I had no idea what Tawni was trying to tell me. So she had a crappy life at home and could care less if she was raped. What did that have to do with Sonny? Why was she wasting my time telling me pointless stories?

"Sonny, on the other hand…" Tawni let out a small chuckle. "We all spent Thanksgiving and Christmas and even New Year's with the Munroe's. I never told Sonny this, but I loved spending time with her parents and grandmother. It was just…I don't know. A real family setting, I guess. Everyone got along, they laughed and joked around. They were all so full of life. This baby is going to take that away from them. After everything Sonny's been through, everything she still has to go through and will have to deal with for the rest of her life…She used to smile so much, it made me sick. Now I can't even remember the last time she laughed."

"Are you going to let me off the phone anytime soon?" I demanded. "I do have a life, you know."

"She never cheated on you, Chad. She was raped and it really tore her apart, both inside and out. This baby will always be a reminder to her of the night it happened, of the man she'll never see again. She'll lose her job. Her family may disown her. She will never be the same person she was when she first moved to Hollywood." I heard a sound that resembled a sob. Was Tawni actually crying? "A lot has changed for Sonny already, but one thing hasn't: she still loves you. She still wants you in her life."

"The baby isn't mine. Am I supposed to sit around and help her deal with somebody else's kid for the next eighteen years?"

"If that's what it takes, then yes. She loves you, Chad, and I thought you felt the same way about her. Maybe I was wrong. If you really loved her, you would know she needs you more than ever right now…even if it's not your baby. Sonny is still Sonny. No one took away her identity. She's the same person you asked to be your girlfriend, the same girl you asked to marry, and the same woman you stood in the church with a few weeks ago and said, 'I do' to. She doesn't deserve to go through this alone."

Something clicked. I had no idea what Blondie said that made the spark turn on - maybe she hadn't said anything at all but my head realized its mistake on its own - but suddenly, I knew I had been wrong. Sonny was raped - raped! - and I'd treated her as though she chose to have sex. Sonny was not the strongest person around, but even if she was, there was still a chance the man could have raped her. He could have had weapons or his brute strength alone may have been enough. As a male myself, I knew how hard it was to fight someone, especially if they were ten times my size. There was no way Sonny would have stood a chance against someone like that.

No, the right answer did not jump right into my lap at that moment. I had no idea what to do, if I should offer Sonny my support or convince her to have the baby adopted or…or…

Well, who cared what the other options were? The important thing was to get back to Sonny and apologize before it was too late.

"I'm such an idiot!" I heard myself exclaiming, the words leaving before I could shut my mouth.

"I've been trying to tell you that for years," Tawni agreed.

"I have to go over to her apartment and apologize!"

My finger lingered over the END button, about to press down when I heard Tawni's voice.

"It won't do you any good going over there, Chad. Sonny's gone. I only called because…I thought you deserved to know the truth."

The phone slipped from my fingers, landing on the ground and breaking into pieces.

* * *

Mom was full of questions once Chad left, questions about the baby, the night it came to be, and how I'd been hiding it since ("I need to know all the details," she told me, "So next time you try concealing a pregnancy, I won't fall for it."). We stayed up until the early hours of the morning, following a pattern: Mom asked a question, I replied, and Mom shot another question out barely before I had a chance to finish my last sentence. I was getting sick of telling the story over and over again, but at least it was getting easier every time. Or maybe I'd finally adjusted now that so many people knew and I had the ultra-sound picture as proof.

The next day, I woke up to find that it was already noon. Leaping from my bed, I ran into the kitchen, wanting to check the other clocks. Maybe mine was fast or out of whack and it was really only six or seven in the morning.

A wonderful, mouth-watering aroma met me as I sprinted into the kitchen. I forced my feet to stop - they skidded across the tile floor for several inches before I was able to catch my balance on the counter - and stood there in silence. Someone had prepared a breakfast fit for a king. Waffles, pancakes, and muffins set atop the stove. Eggs, bacon, and French toast waited by the toaster. A jug of orange juice sat amidst the food.

It all looked so delicious. I didn't want to touch it; I had no idea who had done all the cooking or if they'd done it for a special occasion. However, a loud rumbling in my stomach told me that the baby was starving.

"There you are! I was wondering if you were ever getting out of bed!"

Mom entered the room, stopping to give me a hug and kissing the top of my head. Her hair was down and messy like she had woken up and refused to brush it since. She wasn't dressed either. Well, she was dressed, but in her PJ's instead of her usual work attire.

"Go ahead and eat," she told me, motioning to the food. "I remember what it's like to be pregnant. That appetite never goes away, does it?"

"You made all this food?" I asked skeptically. "For me?"

"It's not just for you," Mom replied, nodding to my stomach. "You're eating for two now! Besides, if yesterday was the first time you went to the doctor, I doubt you've been following a very healthy pregnancy diet so far. I mean, this isn't part of your healthy diet, but I thought I'd let you enjoy one last meal before I switched you over. Trust me, you're going to hate the foods you're supposed to eat."

Having a feeling she was right (I'd glanced through the papers Mrs. Cooper had picked up for me at the hospital. It looked like my new diet would not be including anything fun like fro-yo), I began piling my plate with as much food as I could. I felt like a pig eating so much but what other option did I have? When the baby was hungry, it was hungry!

Once I had as much food as the plate was capable of holding and had taken my seat at the table, I turned my attention to Mom. She hummed to herself while preparing a pot of coffee. Something had to be up with her. What Mother of a seventeen year old acted this sweet the morning after finding out her daughter was pregnant?

"So, I was thinking," Mom said, sliding into the chair across from mine. "Why don't we both skip out on work for the day and just hang out here? It'll be fun! We can hang out in our pajamas, watch a little So Random! marathon, maybe even give each other blindfolded make-over's. What do you think?"

"I think that sounds great, Mom."

"Great! Maybe we could even order a pizza for dinner. What's the name of that place you and your friends usually go to? They have pretty good pizza there, don't they? Maybe pizza would be too spicy for the baby though. Um, we could always-,"

"Mom."

"You like Chinese, don't you? We could always get Chinese take-out. I could even call Judy if you wanted me to. She could give us an entire list of food that would be good for the baby. We could go grocery shopping - in our pajamas!"

"Mom…"

"I suppose we could visit Condor if you wanted to see your friends. We could invite them over! It would be a huge party, what with the two of us and Tawni and Zora and Nico and Grady and-,"

"Stop it!" I cried out, cutting Mom off. "I don't want pizza for dinner or a party with my cast mates. I don't deserve any of that. You remember last night, don't you? Or has it totally slipped your mind already?"

"Of course I remember last night," Mom replied, "But I don't see why you can't enjoy a slice of pizza just because you're pregnant."

"That's exactly why I shouldn't be able to…I'm pregnant. You're supposed to be mad at me right now, not trying to make my day better. You're supposed to yell and scream and tell me how worthless I am. You're supposed to…"

My list would have gone on, but the tears springing to my eyes kept me from continuing. I wanted the Mom who was sitting with me, the one who loved me enough to plan fun activities, but I knew she wasn't the Mom I should have. I'd committed the ultimate sin, at least in her book. I wanted her to get her anger out of the way instead of having her bottle it inside. It would be better for me to know what she was really thinking, not the lies she wanted me to believe.

Sighing deeply, proving that she had been faking her happiness, Mom ran her finger along the rim of her coffee mug. I watched her, waiting patiently for the rage to come. The Munroe family was not known for having long fuses. When we got angry, we made sure to let everyone know, usually by starting a fight or just shouting in the other person's face. I needed to be ready for the shouting.

"I don't know…maybe you're right. Maybe I'm not playing the role of a Mother very well, but…" Mom paused, her eyes meeting mine. To my surprise, I couldn't find a hint of disgrace. "I'm not mad at you, Sonny."

The words repeated through my head at a million miles an hour. _I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at you. I'm not mad at you. _No matter how many times I heard the phrase, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. How was it possible for Mom not to be furious?

"I guess I would be doing all the things you mentioned if the baby was Chad's. If you two of you were sneaking around behind everyone's back and the baby was really his…" She narrowed her eyes. "The baby isn't Chad's, is it? You're not just using the rape as a cover story for what really happened?"

"I told you the truth last night, Mom. The baby really is from the rape. Chad and I have never…you know. Done…that."

I didn't tell her that I'd tried getting Chad to have sex with me or about our secret wedding. Honestly, what was the point in telling her? Chad made it pretty clear when he stormed out of my apartment that he was done with me, that he no longer had a place for me in his life. Our marriage ended the second he slammed the door.

"In that case, no, I'm not mad at you," Mom confirmed. "Rape is something that can't be controlled, Sonny. When a person forces their self on you like that…I'm sure it's a horrible experience. You'll probably never forget it for as long as you live. What you have to understand is that it wasn't your fault. Nothing about that night was your fault. Do you understand that, Sonny?"

Truthfully…No, I didn't understand that at all. How could it not be my fault? I was the one who stayed late at the studio. If I had left on time, I never would have been there when the man pulled up. I chose to walk home alone instead of asking someone to pick me up. If my ride had been on their way, they might have been able to help me before things got so far out of control. I was the one who was stupid enough to give the man my autograph instead of running away. I should have known he wasn't one of my fans. I should have figured it out long before I did. If I had, the whole rape could have been prevented.

A million different excuses. A million things I would have changed if I was given the chance to live that night again.

One baby growing inside me to always be a reminder of my stupid mistakes that fatal evening.

"I'm not mad," Mom repeated herself, whether for her sake or mine I wasn't sure, "But part of the reason I decided to stay home today was so we could talk. I was just wondering…Have you thought about what you're going to do?"

I gave her my honest answer: No, I hadn't thought about my future plans at all. I'd been too busy hiding my pregnancy to worry about what would happen after people knew.

Mom didn't know a lot about living a life of fame and fortune, but we had both learned quickly how much the reporters loved to find out information about stars, whether it was true or not. When she suggested I leave before they saw my growing belly, I agreed. It wasn't like I had a reason to stay anyway. Marshall would kick me off So Random! once he found out I was pregnant and Chad hated me. My fun experience was finally coming to an end.

We sat at the table for the next three or four hours, trying to decide how to go about our new plan. If I was leaving Hollywood, where would I go? Wisconsin would be too easy. The reporters would find me and they would find out about the baby. No, living with Dad and Grandma Munroe was out of the question.

Who would keep me then? There was always the option of allowing me to stay at Grandma Munroe's condo, the one she bought before deciding she was too old and needed to live with another person. However, neither Mom nor I liked that idea very much. I'd be staying there alone without anyone around to help me with the baby or rush me to the hospital if there were any medical emergencies. We would both feel more comfortable if I was able to find a family to move in with.

"What about Lucy?" Mom suggested.

"Lucy only lives a few miles from Dad," I reminded her. "I think that's too close to home. The reporters would still be able to track me down."

"I forgot about that. Well, I guess all your friends are out then because they either live here in Hollywood or Wisconsin." Mom drummed her fingers against the tabletop. "What about family who lives out of state?"

"You mean someone like my other set of grandparents?" I wrinkled my nose. "I don't know, Mom. They always smell like pickles."

"It doesn't have to be them," Mom told me. "You have tons of uncles and aunts around. As a matter of fact, I'm going to start calling them to see if anyone is willing to take you in. I'm sure they will; they're family!"

Mom was wrong. As she got on the phone, calling my aunts and uncles, her enthusiasm died a little more after every call. No one wanted me to come live with them because it meant they would not only have another mouth to feed but they would also have a horrible example for their children. By allowing me to move in, they would be telling the kids it was alright to get pregnant as a teen because someone would always be around to help them.

I was about to suggest Mom should just send me to one of those homes for teen Mothers when she pulled out one final phone number. It belonged to the only uncle she hadn't called yet: her brother, Uncle Tim.

"You just wait, Sonny!" she told me proudly. "I can get your Uncle Tim to do anything. You'll have a place to live in fifteen minutes!"

I immediately felt my mood lifting. Living with Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy wouldn't be bad at all. Uncle Tim had Mom's sense of humor and Aunt Suzy always had something nice to say to me. Plus, they had a son who was my age, my cousin Taylor. If Mom could really talk her brother into it, I would love living with them for a few months until the baby was born.

Unfortunately, Uncle Tim didn't answer the phone when Mom called. I heard Aunt Suzy's voice instead and she explained that her husband was off playing golf with some friends. Refusing to leave us hanging with a promise of Uncle Tim calling back later, Aunt Suzy wanted to know what was going on.

"Maybe I could help?" she offered. "Unless this is something you only want Tim to know about."

Mom looked at me. I shrugged; why not ask Aunt Suzy? If Uncle Tim said yes, she would know what was going on anyway. Her approval was needed just as much as his. It was her house, too.

"I was just wondering if maybe, possibly, you and Tim would mind letting my daughter, Sonny, move in with you for a little while?" Mom asked, her tone telling me that she was afraid of another rejection. "I wouldn't ask, but Sonny is in a bit of a predicament and we both think it would be better for her if she moved from Hollywood."

"Oh, no!" Aunt Suzy cried out, actually sounding worried. "Sonny was always such a sweet child. Is she alright, Connie?"

Mom launched into my story. She told Aunt Suzy that I was pregnant, adding in quickly that the pregnancy was not my fault. She explained that if I stayed in Hollywood, not only would I lose my job, but I would be featured all over the media as my nine months lengthened. When Aunt Suzy asked more questions instead of saying no right away, Mom even went into greater detail. She promised no reporters would show up at Uncle Tim's house because I would be leaving in secret. She also promised that there would be no worries of Chad or any of my other friends stopping by. They, just like the paparazzi, would be kept in the dark about my location.

"I think this would be the perfect place for your daughter right now, Connie," Aunt Suzy said at the end of the tale. "I'll certainly be able to teach her how to raise a baby! I don't know if you remember, but I just had my own baby a few months ago. I'll gladly let Sonny try her hand at taking care of him!"

"That would be perfect!" Mom agreed. "She could get some hands-on experience instead of going into this blindfolded! Don't you think you should talk to everyone else and make sure they're alright with this arrangement before you agree to it though?"

"Taylor should be getting home from school soon, but I'm sure he won't care. He's always liked Sonny," Aunt Suzy replied. "And Tim won't mind, I can almost guarantee you that! We all love your daughter, Connie. We'd be happy to help out anyway we can."

With that, the first step in moving me away from Hollywood was settled. I would move in with Uncle Tim, Aunt Suzy, and Taylor.

Next, Mom and I had to decide what I would take with me and what would be left behind. For example, should Mom accompany me or head back home to live with Dad and Grandma Munroe? Should I take my cell phone and just change the number or that would still be too easy of a target for a devoted reporter to get my number? Was it safe to tell anyone where I was going or would it be better just to let everyone guess?

"I think I should stay here, at this apartment," Mom stated firmly. "That way, when people come looking for you, I'll still be here to tell them you went on an extended vacation or whatever the story we decide to tell people."

"How is that going to work?" I wanted to know. "What am I going to do? Leave Hollywood long enough to have the baby, come back here, and tell everyone the baby is just someone I'm looking after for the real Mother?"

"That part depends on you, sweetie," Mom said gently. "I don't know what you're planning on doing with this baby after its born. If you keep it, it's going to be a lot of work. I've never tried raising a child on my own, but even with your Dad around to help me, it was still hard. You could give the baby up for adoption. I don't care what you decide - it's your baby, your choice. But I do think you should talk to Mr. Condor before you leave. Maybe, if you just tell him you need some time off for medical reasons, he might let you come back once this is all over."

How could I come back? People were going to catch on if I left for six months and came back with an infant. Even if I lied and said the baby was just someone I found on my doorstep, eventually, that lie wouldn't work. The baby was sure to look like me at least a little bit. The public would be able to put two and two together.

Unless, of course, I did as Mom suggested and gave the baby up for adoption. I could return to Hollywood without a problem if I did that. But I would never get the chance to watch my own baby grow up or hear it say its first words or hold it in my arms as I whispered how much I loved it…

With a headache pounding through my skull, I decided to placate Mom by agreeing to speak with Mr. Condor. I was too tired to think about what I would do with the baby six months from now. I would decide later.

A few days later, after talking to Mr. Condor and packing my suitcase, it was time to go. Mom insisted on driving me to the airport. She was crying as she helped carry my luggage to the car; it was going to be a hard goodbye for both of us.

Without leaving behind a phone number or anything to be tracked by, Mom and I left the apartment I'd come to call home. I was heading toward a secret place the media would never find me at. A new town with new faces. A town that would hopefully make me forget about Chad Dylan Cooper.

"I'll see you soon, baby," Mom promised as she gave me one last hug. I didn't pull away, even though a terminal full of people were watching us curiously. "Listen to your Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy, ok? Behave yourself. Don't go outside without using sun-block. Never talk to strangers."

"I think it's a little late for that one…don't you?" I asked, nodding to my stomach.

With tears in her eyes, Mom hugged me to her tighter than she'd ever hugged me before. My body felt like it was going to explode from lack of oxygen - and yet, I wanted to be squeezed even tighter. Who knew when I would see her again?

"Take care of yourself," she ordered. "I love you, Sonny."

"I love you, too, Mommy."

That was all we had time to say before my flight number was said through the loudspeakers, announcing that it was time to start boarding. I turned my back to Mom - it was the hardest thing in the world to do - and, brushing away my tears, I got on the plane without glancing back. If I looked back…

Well, let's just say there was a huge chance I would chicken out of getting on the plane at all.

It wasn't long before the pilot announced to please buckle your seatbelt because we were taking off. I did as I was told. Finally, once I was in the air and couldn't go back to Mom even if I wanted to, I looked out the plane's window.

Slowly, Hollywood was fading away. The state I had come to love over the past few years was disappearing behind me. Flashbacks started playing through my mind - the first time I met the Randoms, arguing with Chad every second of every day, dressing up as my own biggest fan because Tawni convinced me I didn't have any fans - and I couldn't hold back the tears any longer. They rolled down my cheeks freely and I was happy no one had taken the seat beside me.

It was time to say goodbye to everything I knew and everyone I loved.

* * *

Tawni said Sonny was gone but I didn't believe her. Why would Sonny leave Hollywood? Where would she go? How could she leave, after everything we'd been through, without telling me goodbye?

The first place I went after leaving DelMingo, telling Shayanna I would be back as soon as possible, was the apartment complex Sonny lived in. As my car drew closer to the building, my heart began racing. Something was wrong. Whenever I came here, I got excited because I knew I was about to see the girl I loved. This time, all I could feel was a sickening panic.

I ran to the door I knew was Sonny's, not even taking the time to ride the elevator. I had to get there as fast as I could, which meant running up flights of stairs to do so. Breathless, panting like I'd just ran a mile, I pounded on the door.

When it finally swung open, a shocked Mrs. Munroe met my eyes.

"Chad?" she asked, as though she'd never seen the drama star on her doorstep before. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak to Sonny."

Mrs. Munroe's face grew blank.

"Sonny's not here right now," she said in monotone.

"Mrs. Munroe, please." I could hear the pleading in my voice, a sound I never thought I would hear from my lips. I was Chad Dylan Cooper. I was handed anything I wanted without needing to beg. "Just tell me where Sonny is. An address, a phone number…something!"

Shaking her head, Mrs. Munroe began to shut the door.

"She's not here," she stated again. "I'm sorry, Chad."

Before she could shut the door completely, I pressed against it. Maybe Mrs. Munroe was lying. Maybe Sonny was just so upset, she told her Mom that if I ever stopped by, tell me that she was gone. There was still a chance she was somewhere in the apartment, hiding out in hopes of never having to see me again.

I ran through every room. I glanced at the table, which was clear other than a few dirty dishes. I turned to the living room where some news reporter was droning on about an event no one cared about. The kitchen was empty, too. No luck in the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, I stopped outside Sonny's bedroom.

This was my last chance. I could push open the door and find her room just as empty as the rest of the apartment. If Sonny wasn't inside, I would know that her Mom and Tawni were telling me the truth.

Slowly, the knob burning beneath my nervous fingers, I opened the door.

Sonny was not inside. Her room looked exactly the same as it had last time I'd seen it. Everything was in the same spot as before, only, as I looked closer, I noticed some things were missing. For example, her closet was holding less clothes than last time. Her guitar was gone. The room was definitely Sonny's, but it had a strange feeling to it, almost as though she hadn't lived there.

Then, I saw it. Sitting on her nightstand, glowing in the soft sparkle of the afternoon sunshine: Sonny's wedding ring.

Grabbing the ring, holding it in the palm of my hand, I knew it was over. Sonny was gone. I'd been too hard on her and she would never forgive me. It was over between us…forever.

My drive back to DelMingo was quiet. I left the radio off, not wanting to listen to singers telling me about how in love they were with their girlfriends. I tried not to think about Sonny or the wedding band sitting like a piece of lead in my pocket. If she didn't want me in her life, if she had someone else to help her now, then that was fine with me. I didn't need her. Why should I spend even five minutes worrying about whether or not she was safe? She made the decision to leave Hollywood. She could have stayed. She could have called me to let me know she was leaving at the very least. But she hadn't done either.

She could run off, have the baby, and stay out of Hollywood until the stupid kid was old enough to go off to college or whatever it chose to do with its life. She could never return for all Chad cared. Leaving her wedding ring told Chad one thing: as much as Sonny loved him, and yes, he was certain she really had loved him, she didn't want him around. She wanted no one around apparently since she left without leaving any clues as to where she was heading next. All she wanted was the baby. It was the only friend she took along for the ride.

DelMingo was at least half an hour away when I pulled off the side of the road. I, the great Chad Dylan Cooper, the greatest actor of my generation, could not hold back the sobs. Sonny Munroe, my girlfriend, my wife, in all terms of the phrase my best friend, was gone and never coming back. I would never look into those brown eyes again or hear her laughter. I'd never hold her in my arms.

And, worse than anything else: I would never get the chance to tell her how sorry I was. She would spend the rest of her life believing I meant it when I said I was wrong to trust her.

Maybe I wasn't the greatest actor of my generation after all. Maybe I was just my generation's biggest liar.


	13. Sonny Tells the World

Let me take this time to tell all of you this: Yes, I know this chapter is moving fast. You are about to read through three months in one chapter. I was going to divide it up into several chapters, but I realized I did not have the patience to do so and you guys would never stick with the story between my slow updates and Sonny and Chad not being together. Therefore, I have decided to just sum up everything and put it together here in chapter twelve. IF you get confused about what's going on, PLEASE let me know in your review or through a PM and I will do my best to explain better.

Remember, Sonny has just left Hollywood to stay with her uncle and aunt. Chad came to her apartment, but she was already gone. No one has any idea where she is

Alright...I think that's all you need to know.

Thank you so much for your reviews! They are like the frosting on top of a cupcake - no, I'm not kidding. They really do make my day. Leave more of them?

Disclaimer: I own Hope, but she's it. Oh, and Sonny's nameless child. Nothing else though.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

Sonny Tells the World

_End of April - End of July_

A lot of things changed when I left Hollywood.

Mom called me every night. She had to be the one who called me - always from a pay-phone - just in case someone was tracking the numbers dialed from the phone at the apartment. I asked her what felt like a hundred questions a minute. Was anybody looking for me yet? How were Nico, Grady, Zora, Tawni, and Portlyn doing? What did she tell the reporters about my absence? She always gave the same answers: of course people were looking for me, my friends were badgering her every day for my location, and she informed the reports I'd decided I needed a mini-vacation. I would sigh in relief before thanking her once again for staying behind. I could only imagine how hard people would be searching for me if both Mom and I disappeared at the same time. They would probably jump to even worse conclusions than the ones they used to explain my 'vacation'.

And jump to conclusions they most certainly did. At my request, Uncle Tim brought home a new Tween Weekly every Friday night. More often than not, an old picture of me would be on the front cover along with a four to five page story inside about what they really thought I was up to. I read everything from I was running away from home in a streak of teen rebellion to I was hiding in a cave somewhere trying to hide that I was half vampire. I found it weird that not one article suggested I was off having a baby. Strange how the public can't think badly of you when you're known as the good girl from Wisconsin.

Every day for my first two weeks away from home, Mom told me one simple statement that sent an arrow through my heart: Chad had been at the apartment again, asking for my new information.

"You should have seen his face, Sonny," she told me one evening. "He's trying so hard to talk to you! Maybe I could give him Uncle Tim's phone number…"

"Don't you dare give him Uncle Tim's phone number!" I protested quickly. "You can't tell anyone anything about where I am, Mom. I don't want everyone finding out I'm pregnant."

"I know, I know," Mom sighed. "It's just…I think he really does love you. I don't want you missing your chance with him just because you're afraid he'll let a piece of your personal information out."

"If he really loves me," I said, drawing a deep breath, "He'll wait for me to come to him."

Either my advice was wrong or Chad Dylan Cooper decided I wasn't worth the wait. It wasn't long before Tween Weekly informed me that he had accepted a role on All the Days of Our Lives. As shocked as I was about his decision to leave Condor, I was more surprised when another issue told me Chad was dating his new boss, Miss Shayanna DelMingo. I stared at the cover for hours, analyzing every detail. Chad and Shayanna sat beside each other at a table built for two, the remnants of their dinner still sitting before them. They were both dressed up - Chad in a tux, Shayanna wearing a dress that showed off her many tattoos - and they smiled into the camera like they were the happiest couple in the world.

I was still sitting there, the magazine clutched tightly in my fingers, when Taylor got home from school. He walked around me, looked over my shoulder to see what I was staring at, then offered the best solution to my problem:

"Want to throw darts at his face? Fifty points if you hit his eye!"

As much as it hurt me to know Chad was seeing other people, or at least one other person, I couldn't dwell on it. I had more important things to worry about than who my ex was dating, more important things like making sure I stayed healthy for the remainder of my pregnancy. Raising my blood pressure because I was angry at Chad was not a good way to stay healthy.

Uncle Tim and Taylor tried to help out with the baby, but in the end, Aunt Suzy was the one I turned to whenever I needed help. She knew plenty about motherhood and, since she had no job other than staying home to watch Isaac, Taylor's new little brother, she had time to tell me her stories.

"It might seem bad now," she told me, trying to hide a smile as I studied my reflection in the mirror, a habit I found myself doing more often as my baby grew, "But trust me…It gets worse! Don't listen to those ladies who tell you you'll forget the labor pains. I had Taylor eighteen years ago and I can still remember how much it hurt!"

"So I have a painful delivery to look forward to," I summarized. "Aren't you going to tell me what everyone else says? That the pain will be worth it when I get to hold my baby in my arms?"

Instead of answering me, Aunt Suzy placed Isaac in my unsuspecting arms. "Why don't you test that theory now? Isaac isn't much bigger now than your baby will be when it comes out. Do you think holding a big ol' lump like him is worth hours and hours of the worst pain you'll ever feel?"

It was one of the first times I'd held Isaac. Anyone with eyes could see how cute my youngest cousin was. He had dark brown hair, almost black really, and huge eyes that could make me melt whenever he looked up at me and smiled. His tiny fingers usually grabbed a strand of my hair, which I allowed him to play with until he began pulling. Then, sending Aunt Suzy a forced grin, I would ask her to help me.

Isaac was cute, there was no doubt about that, but playing with him when he was happy compared to watching him all day long were two completely different stories. I'd never spent much time around babies before - the youngest kids I saw on a regular basis were Dakota Condor and Kimberly Cooper, both of whom were old enough to walk and talk and feed themselves - so when Aunt Suzy left me alone with Isaac so she could run to the store or asked me to do special tasks with him for the sake of experience, I wasn't sure what to do.

Thankfully, Aunt Suzy was a great teacher. She taught me how to do everything with Isaac, which included feeding him, bathing him, burping him, changing him, and a million other things. She was patient with me, giving me a second chance if I did something wrong at first, but I still felt more comfortable doing things when she was there beside me. When she left the house and Isaac and I were alone, I spent every minute worrying about doing something wrong. How was I going to take care of my own baby? I couldn't hand him or her off to their real Mother when she returned with the groceries. I would be the real Mother.

"You'll get the hang of it," Aunt Suzy assured me. "Motherhood doesn't happen overnight."

Mom must have told Dad and Grandma Munroe my big news because they called shortly after I moved in with Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy. The first thing I heard when Taylor handed me the phone was an ear-splitting, "I'm so proud of you, Allison!"

"Helen!" Dad's voice spoke in the background. "Give me the phone!"

"You wait your turn, young man! I'm talking to my granddaughter," Grandma Munroe told him. "You don't listen to a word your Father tells you, Allison, do you understand me? You did the right thing coming clean about the baby when you did and leaving Hollywood. I'm so proud of you, baby. And I cannot wait to meet my new great-grandchild!"

At least one person thought I'd made the right choices so far. I was nervous when Grandma Munroe handed the phone to Dad. He was the push-over between him and Mom, but would their roles change now? Mom had taken my pregnancy pretty well overall. Would Dad be the same way or would he be angry?

"There are reporters standing on my front lawn right now. They want to know, if you're not vacationing here, where are you vacationing at? I told them to mind their own business." Dad paused, then: "How are you, Sonny?"

"Considering everything that's happened in the past few months, I'm doing great!" I told him, which was at least halfway true. At least I hadn't totally broken down. "How are you, Dad?"

"I…I'm not the one having a baby," he replied. "Is there any word yet on when I get to meet my grandchild?"

If Dad was mad, he would have said so instead of asking about the baby. I let out a sigh of relief. Maybe Dad wasn't telling jokes like he normally would, but what Father would after finding out his teenage daughter was having a baby?

We stayed on the phone for a long time, talking about everything. Dad told me more than once how much he wished he could be with me but knew he couldn't since the reporters may follow him. He asked me if there was anything I needed. He demanded to see the baby as soon as possible after it was born. Then, as we were getting ready to say goodnight, his tone became serious.

"Are you really doing alright, sweetie?" he asked. "I've been doing some research. I found a support group that I really think you could benefit from."

"A support group?" I repeated slowly. "Dad, I really don't think-,"

"It's for teenage girls," Dad interrupted me. "Teenagers who have been…raped."

I took down the information Dad had about the group without really thinking about going. I had enough to deal with - a baby on the way, learning how to take care of said baby without someone telling me what to do every second of the day, trying not to think about Chad and Shayanna, my home-school lessons given by Aunt Suzy which I was falling behind in. Did I have time to attend a support meeting every week, too?

The more I thought about the group, the more I thought Dad might be right. Something changed in me the night the rape happened. I knew I was acting different without anyone needing to tell me so. Even sitting on the couch in Uncle Tim's living room, watching first a new episode of So Random! and then Mackenzie Falls, I wasn't laughing like I usually did. I just sat there silently, almost as though the shows were running but I wasn't paying attention. I was a long way from the happy-go-lucky girl I'd been when I first arrived in Hollywood. Could it be I was growing up or was there a piece of me unwilling to let go of what had happened in Tina Snippet's parking lot?

Knowing the baby was coming soon (my stomach seemed to be growing every day), I knew something had to change. No way would I allow myself to be that girl who lost herself when she was only seventeen. If I became someone I wasn't, if I let myself slip into a shell of the girl I'd once been, that would be letting the rapist win. He would have complete control over me, even though he was no longer around. He'd only been there one night. Yes, he had gotten me pregnant, but he did not take away Sonny Munroe. He just covered her up for a little while. I needed to unbury her before it was too late.

"All of you girls have been through so much," Samantha, the leader of my support group, said on the first night I attended a meeting. "I want each of you to understand that, unless someone has gone through the same thing you have, they will never truly understand what you've had to deal with. Rape is a horrible thing that can scar a person for the rest of their life. I'm not here to tell you that you should forget the rape ever happened. I'm here to help you find a way to put it in the past so you can move forward with your future."

"What a load of bologna, huh?" a very pregnant girl sitting beside me whispered. "Like any of us are really going to be able to move forward. I don't know about you, but I bet I'll remember the night of my rape every time I look into the baby's face!"

"I feel the same way," I whispered back. "That's why I'm here, I guess. So I can get rid of that feeling. I don't know if I'll be able to do it or not…This is my first meeting."

"No way…This is my first meeting, too!" The girl offered me her hand. "Well, if we're both going to be here every week, we might as well get to know each other. I'm Hope Codwell."

"My name is Sonny-,"

"Munroe," Hope finished for me. "Also known as one of the lead actresses on So Random! Yeah, that's right, I do watch comedies meant for tweens. Do you have a problem with that?"

"No! No, I don't have a problem with that at all! I think it's great that you're a fan of So Random!"

"Good," Hope told me, nodding her approval. "Sorry if I seem a little…defensive. I've been that way since I was raped. I guess I feel like I have to make up for that night…I wasn't very defensive at all when it happened."

"Don't worry about it," I reassured her. "I think everyone here is acting a little differently than they did before they were raped. That's why we're here, isn't it? So we can stop acting different?"

Watching me closely like she was trying to figure out if I was messing with her or not, Hope's face broke out in a smile. "I like you, kid."

"Thanks…I like you, too?"

From that moment on, Hope and I were nearly inseparable. We had to stop talking when Samantha reminded us the meeting was for everyone's benefit, not just our own, but once she dismissed us, we were talking again. Hope wanted to know my story, which I told her easily. Somehow, she was the easiest person to tell…maybe because I knew she would understand since she'd gone through the same thing.

"So that's the real reason you left Hollywood!" she laughed when I was done, reaching over to rub my stomach. "I'm surprised you came to the support group at all. Aren't you afraid someone will recognize you?"

"No, not really," I replied. "This group is supposed to be anonymous, remember? Even if someone does know who I am, they shouldn't go running off to tell everyone they know that they saw me."

"Maybe they shouldn't, but that doesn't mean they won't," Hope argued. "I'm not saying I'll tell - my lips are sealed - but that girl sitting a few people away from us? I think she was giving you some weird looks, Munroe."

I was having fun talking to Hope, but Taylor picked that moment to drive up. He waited in the car but waved, letting me know he was ready to go whenever I was. I held up a finger, telling him I'd be there shortly.

"I honestly did not see that one coming," Hope said in surprise, staring at Taylor. "Chad left you and you found another boyfriend that fast? Not that I blame you, Chad was a total jerk, but-,"

"Another boyfriend? Who are you talking about? I'm not dating anyone."

"Then who's that handsome hunk of boy waiting in the car for you?"

"That is my cousin. I'm staying with him and his parents for awhile, at least until the baby's born."

"Really? Your family didn't reject you after they found out you were pregnant?"

"Reject me? Of course they didn't! What kind of a family turns away someone just because…"

My voice trailed off as I watched the smile leave Hope's face. She stared at the ground and shoved her hands into her pockets. Slowly, I realized what she was trying to tell me: her family had rejected her and her baby.

"I should let you go so you don't keep your cousin waiting," she said quickly. "I'll see you next week, Sonny."

She was already several feet away when I cried out her name.

"Hope! Why don't you…Would you like to come over for dinner?"

One dinner invitation was all it took for Hope and I to become best friends. Aunt Suzy was more than happy to have another dinner guest and, as all six of us sat around the table (technically Isaac was in his high-chair, but I counted him as a person, too), Hope launched into her story.

"I'm the same age as Sonny," she explained between the bites of food she shoved into her mouth. It was obvious that wherever she was staying, they were not feeding her nearly enough. "We were both born on August twenty, actually. I know, it's weird, right? Anyway, I was at a party the night I was raped. I know, I know, I should have known better than to go to one of those wild college parties, especially since I'm still in high school, but my boyfriend was in college and he really wanted me to go and my parents didn't want me to go which just made me want to go even more. I ended up going which was a huge mistake. The music was too loud, everyone was too drunk to know what they were doing, and there was alcohol all over the place. I tried convincing my boyfriend to leave, but he told me to quit being such a baby and lighten up a bit."

"So you stayed at the party?" Aunt Suzy asked, trying her best to keep up with Hope's fast speech.

"I wanted to leave, but my parents were out of town and my car was at my house. I got a ride from my boyfriend," Hope replied. "Since I was pretty much stuck there until he decided it was time to go, I went outside, hoping to get away from the drunks for awhile. It was a lot more peaceful outside. The music was subdued, there was actual air to breathe instead of sweaty armpits being shoved into my face. It was nice. I was beginning to enjoy my evening when this guy I'd never seen before sat down next to me, offering me some punch. I took it, thinking nothing of it. I mean, it was just some random guy trying to be nice, right? Wrong! He and I sat on the back porch for a long time - long enough to drink at least three more cups of punch -and I had this weird feeling that something was happening to me. I'd never been drunk before but I was laughing more saying things I wouldn't usually say…The guy had spiked my punch."

"He sounds like some of the guys at my school," Taylor interjected. When Aunt Suzy glared at him, he added, "Not any of the guys I hang out with, though."

"Do any of the guys at your school rape innocent girls?" Hope asked him. "Because this guy does. Or he did that night. I have no idea if it was the first time he raped someone, but I bet it won't be the last. He waited until I was completely drunk before climbing to his feet and offering to dance with me. I had enough sense to know what I was doing but I couldn't really control what I was saying. In other words, I knew what was going on in my head, but my body was long gone. I agreed to dance with him. Instead of taking me inside, he pulled me into the backyard, saying it would be much more romantic if we were alone. We danced, but I was so drunk, my feet kept sliding in every direction and he pretty much needed to hold me up or I would have fallen multiple times. I thought we were just having fun…His grip got tighter around my arms. I could actually feel them starting to bruise. When I asked what he was doing, he shut me up by kissing me. I kicked him as hard as I could in a place I know it hurts - how do you think I won so many fights against my brothers while growing up? - but it didn't phase him. He called me a few names I won't repeat in front of the baby and wrestled me to the ground. There was nothing I could do. He was so much bigger than me…"

We waited in silence for Hope to go on. She stopped eating. She had reached the climax of her story, the part that Samantha wanted us to try getting over.

"The worst part was when my boyfriend came outside," Hope continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "He was more drunk than I was. I'm not sure why he came looking for me, but I could hear his voice. 'Hope!' he cried into the night. 'Hope, where are you?' I cried out to him, begging for his help. I pleaded with him to do something, anything at all. He watched, his eyes dark as he recognized my tear-soaked face. Then, he turned around and walked away."

I couldn't imagine Chad doing that to me. If he had been there that night, if he'd seen the man trying to rape me, he would have jumped in right away, doing everything he could to protect me.

'_You don't know that,' _a voice in the back of my mind reminded me. _'Chad might not love you as much as you think, Sonny. Remember what he did when he found out you were pregnant? He didn't even give you a chance to explain yourself. He might not have rescued you the night the rape happened, either. Maybe he would have walked away, just like Hope's boyfriend.'_

"The next morning," Hope said, breaking into my thoughts, "My boyfriend had no recollection of the night before. He remembered going to the party, but that was it. He had no idea what he did while he was there, including that he had seen me being raped. I decided not to say anything to him, to let him live in blissful ignorance. I was forced to come clean when I found out I was pregnant. Needless to say, he was pretty upset when he found out I was having someone else's baby. I didn't even get to tell him it was because I was raped. He just assumed it was because I cheated on him. He dumped me. Unfortunately, my parents felt the same way he did. They thought I was worthless and my life was ruined. They kicked me out of the house. I didn't have anywhere to turn…Now I live at a home for unwed teenage mothers."

Uncle Tim looked at Aunt Suzy. Aunt Suzy gave him the slightest nod. Taylor smiled, already knowing what his parents were about to say.

"You don't have to return to that home if you don't want to, Hope," Uncle Tim said. "You're more than welcome to stay here."

"Oh, no, I couldn't impose on your family like that-,"

"You wouldn't be imposing at all," Aunt Suzy cut off Hope's protest. "I would be more upset if you said no! We have an extra room and Sonny could use some help babysitting Isaac during the day anyway. She hasn't quite gotten used to the whole 'mothering' thing yet."

Shaking her head like she couldn't believe her good fortune, Hope climbed from her chair and gave Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy huge hugs. She was going to fit in just fine; she was in a family of huggers, after all!

Even though we continued attending the support group, Hope and I found our own solace in each other. Since she wasn't a celebrity and could afford to be seen in public, she went to school during the day while I stayed home and worked with Aunt Suzy on my private studies. I still watched Isaac a lot during the day, but at night, after Hope returned from school and finished her homework, it was her turn. By the time Aunt Suzy let us go to bed, we each had stories to tell about things that had either gone wrong or right while taking care of Isaac. After hearing Hope's stories and knowing I wasn't the only one having a hard time adjusting, I became less nervous about being left alone with my cousin. Yes, I was going to make mistakes, but what young Mother wasn't?

Having Hope around to talk to brought back some of the old Sonny. She was going through the exact same thing as me - preparing for Motherhood without a boyfriend around to help - and talking to her about everything made it easier to deal with. The seriousness of the situation rolled away, at least a tiny portion of it did since I wasn't really going through it alone anymore, and I found myself laughing and telling jokes again. Not just with Hope, but with anyone I spoke with. Maybe no one else could see it, but I knew I was slowly getting my old self back.

Things were beginning to look brighter…until the day Hope decided to turn against me.

"You know," she said one night at our support group meeting, "It really isn't fair, is it?"

"What isn't fair, Hope?" Samantha questioned.

"That we have to sit here and only tell our stories to each other," Hope replied. "All of us already know how horrible rape is. It's the rest of the world who needs to know the truth!"

A few girls muttered their agreement. I was one of them. Hope was right; the rest of the world, especially men like the ones who had raped the girls currently sitting in the room, needed to know how much pain they were bringing to people just because they wanted a couple minutes of fun. There had to be some way girls like Hope could get their stories out where people would actually listen to them. Maybe she could track down a celebrity or-

The room fell silent as every pair of eyes turned to me.

"What?" I asked them. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

Hope stopped my hand as I reached up, desperately trying to brush whatever they were seeing away.

"Sonny," she said firmly. "You're the only one who could convince people to listen to us."

Catching on to the real reason everyone was staring at me, I shook my head back and forth. No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. I was not going to do what they wanted me to do. I didn't care if I could call in every reporter in Hollywood. I was not going to do it.

"Why not?" Hope pleaded. "It would only take one phone call. One phone call and you could get enough camera crews here to film hundreds of interviews!"

"Hope, I-,"

"Oh, forget about it!" Hope told me, folding her arms over her chest. "I forgot. You're running away from Hollywood. Obviously, your career and the money you get from So Random! mean more to you than anything else."

"That's not fair!" I protested. "You know that's not true!"

"Do I, Sonny? Do I really?" Hope asked. "Because it sounds to me like keeping your job is the only thing that matters to you right now."

"Allison and Hope," Samantha called over our voices. "Let's try to get back on topic, shall we?"

Hope didn't speak to me for the rest of the night. When Taylor arrived to take us to his house, she got in the car and started talking to him right away, leaving me with no one but a window to share my thoughts with. She was acting stupid. I left Hollywood so I could return after the baby was born. The way things were going, I might even be able to work at Condor for a few more years, until the baby got old enough that people began to figure out it was really mine. Why should I throw all that away by telling everyone where I was and what had happened to me? She wanted me to throw away my life so she could tell the world how horrible rape was?

Then, as the night wore on, I started thinking harder. What if Hope was right? Keeping my job would be nice, but was it worth it? I had a chance to let the world know about rape, to tell people just how awful it truly was. Should I throw that opportunity away just so I could keep my career choice? If I stayed silent about the rape forever, how was that any different than letting the man win? He would go on with his life, raping girls just like me until he got thrown into jail - if he ever got put in jail. At least if I spoke out about what he'd done, there was a chance he'd hear about it.

I spent most of the night debating over what the right thing to do was. Tell the world or stay silent? Stay on So Random! or look for new employment? Keep my friendship with Hope or live with her silent treatment forever?

It was midnight when I let myself into Hope's room. She was still awake, but when she saw it was me, she reached for the lamp, trying to turn it off. I stopped her, taking a seat on the edge of her bed.

"I hope you and the rest of the girls are ready to talk," I said. "You're going to be on TV tomorrow morning at ten."

"Really?" Hope sat up as far as her belly allowed, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Oh, Sonny, you're the greatest! I knew you'd make the right choice! Thank you so much!"

Half of me knew by Hope's reaction that I'd done the right thing calling the reporters in Hollywood. The other half felt horrible. In less than twenty-four hours, the whole world was going to know about my baby.

'_Help me!'_ I pleaded, my eyes looking toward the sky.

* * *

_July 25_

All they had to do was say her name once. I heard the words Sonny Munroe and my heart stopped beating. Why had they said her name on the news? Was she alright?

"Actress Sonny Munroe, who left Hollywood unannounced several months ago, has finally made contact with us again!" the man on my television's screen informed me. "Apparently she asked for reporters to come see her at…"

He rattled off an address. I pressed the pause button on my remote, grabbed the nearest pad of paper I could find, and scribbled down the numbers he gave. Then, just to make sure I had it written correctly, I rewound my TV, listening to the address a second time, followed by a third. I had to make sure it was right.

I had to see Sonny.

My feet moved of their own accord as I climbed into my car, pressing on the gas as hard as I could. I called Portlyn first, letting her know I would be at her house in an hour. She must have been watching the news too because she didn't argue. While she waited for me to arrive, she found the addresses for the rest of the Randoms, knowing I would want them to come along as well. I wasn't the only one who had been waiting a long time to see Sonny. Her friends missed her, too.

Even though I would normally never squeeze four people into my three person backseat, I made an exception this time. The Randoms were quiet for most of the car ride. Maybe they were trying to show me that they knew how to behave. Maybe they were just as nervous to see their old cast mate as I was.

The last time I'd seen Sonny, she had tears in her eyes as she begged me not to leave. I hadn't listened to her. I'd been selfish, blaming her for getting pregnant when it wasn't her fault at all. Chad Dylan Cooper was not good at apologizing - he never had to - but Mackenzie was. I worked out a speech in my head, trying to make it sound perfect. Would Sonny listen to it? Maybe. Would she forgive me for walking away when she needed me the most? Perhaps.

All I could do was hope for the best.

Nico and Grady decided they needed a bathroom break sometime in the early morning. I told them they should have gone before we left, that we were on a time limit, but they insisted I pull over unless I wanted my seats to be ruined. Grumbling, I did as they asked. An hour or two later, Zora complained about being hungry. I told her she would have plenty of time to eat once we got there, but everyone followed in her footsteps, begging for breakfast. I stopped - which ended up putting us an hour and a half behind schedule because my car refused to start again and we had to wait for a mechanic.

Finally, at long last, the building holding the address where Sonny was came into view. We were late - obvious not only because the clock in the car read eleven o'clock but also because the parking lot was full - but I didn't care. There was only one thought in my mind as I jumped from the car, running inside faster than I knew my feet could move. Portlyn and the Randoms could take care of locking the car; I was pretty sure I'd forgotten my keys when I hopped out anyway.

I was about to see Sonny. A few more inches and I would get to see her beautiful smile. Just through the door and around the corner and then she would be there, waiting for me…

I stopped short. The room wasn't very big, but it certainly held quite a few people. A large crowd had gathered to hear whatever it was Sonny had to tell the news reporters. I noticed the cameramen standing along the sides, each of them fighting to get the best view of the front of the room. A large brown podium stood there with a microphone hooked up. A girl who was not Sonny stood behind it.

"A lot of you probably don't understand what I'm trying to tell you," the girl was saying, "And then again, maybe you do. I know this isn't a topic people are comfortable with, but it needs to be discussed. It happens every day. It happens all around you. It might even be happening to someone you know and love right now. The point I'm trying to make, the point all of the girls who spoke before me were making, is this: you need to be aware that this is happening. And, if it does happen to a loved one, don't push them away. They need you more than ever. It's not their fault. Do you think I blame myself for what happened to me? Yes, I made some mistakes that night. You heard my story, you can judge for yourself what I could have done differently. That won't change the fact that it happened. I love all of you and I'm speaking out because I want to make sure you don't suffer the same fate I have. Thank you for listening."

She took a seat and applause filled the room. I was considering tapping the nearest person on their shoulder to find out what the girl had been talking about-

-Except Sonny picked that moment to take the girl's spot behind the podium.

"As you've heard, both from me and many of my friends, rape is an issue that should not be looked upon lightly," she said. "I'm sure there are many more people than those who spoke today who have been through this traumatic experience. It's time to - to…"

People began exchanging looks as Sonny faltered. I was the only one who knew why she was suddenly tripping over her words.

She had spotted me.

"Um," Sonny said, her voice echoing through the room. "As I was saying, it's time for us to focus on keeping rape - I mean, getting rid of rape! - it's time for us to focus on getting rape under control and, uh…And…"

I could see the sweat lathering Sonny's face as she struggled to keep her composure. I had no idea if it was a good or bad sign that she was losing her cookies at the sight of me, but I did know one thing: there was nothing I could do when I left Sonny's apartment that night because she was gone by the time I came to my senses. However, there was something I could do now to keep her from standing up there and blubbering like an idiot.

Many heads turned as I made my way to the front of the room (how could they not? I was Chad Dylan Cooper!). Sonny shook her head slightly. She could be telling me to go away, that this was her time in the spotlight, that she wanted one time in front of the cameras without CDC interfering. She needed help though. Besides…if she was talking about rape, then I had something to say, too.

Realizing I wasn't backing down, Sonny stepped aside, motioning for me to take her spot behind the podium. I had to fight the urge to touch her as I walked past - it had been so many months since my fingers were able to brush against her and there was a strand of hair that desperately needed fixing - but I kept my hands to myself as I took my spot. Then, I faced the cameras.

"My name is Chad Dylan Cooper," I introduced, "And there's just one thing I want to say before Miss Munroe finishes the show."

Maybe, when you're a television star and your girlfriend is, too, there's only one way to really tell her how sorry you are: tell her so in front of the cameras.

"I know rape is more of an issue for girls," I began, "But if there are any guys out there watching this, listen to CDC. If you know a girl who has been raped, don't leave her to deal with it on her own. Whether it's your sister, your best friend, your girlfriend, or your wife-," I shot a look at Sonny, who refused to meet my gaze, "Just…stick with her, alright, guys? Trust me…You'll regret it if you don't."

I stepped down, thinking Sonny would take her spot again. However, as she came closer, it wasn't the microphone she had her eyes on.

With the cameras still rolling and the crowd watching, Sonny wrapped her arms around my neck. I didn't deserve it, not after the way I'd treated her, but wondering if I'd ever be this close to her again, to hold her in my arms…To me, it felt like the most wonderful feeling in the world.

"I missed you," she whispered against my neck, her voice muffled as she buried her face in my chest.

"I missed you, too, Munroe," I mumbled, hugging her tighter. "I missed you, too."


	14. I Want You To Love Me

Hello again! Thank you so much for the reviews! I ADORE reading them and will never be able to thank you enough for sending them! I just want to give each and every one of you a HUGE CHRISTMAS HUG! Unless, of course, you don't celebrate Christmas. In that case, I want to give you a HUGE (INSERT WHATEVER HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE HERE) HUG!

I know this chapter is short, but...We are getting close to the end! Like...really close. So close that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Um...Keep reading (if you want to know how it ends. Trust me, it's going to get EXCITING soon). Keep reviewing. Enjoy this short chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Nope. Not at all.

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Chapter Thirteen

I Want You To Love Me

_July 25_

I really should have thought things over before entering an establishment where I knew there would be camera crews. The smartest move would have been to wait outside until people began leaving, signaling the end of whatever it was Sonny had called the reporters for in the first place. At least that way, I wouldn't have been stuck with Sonny under my arm, trying to leave the building without answering five million questions.

It seemed as though every Hollywood reporter wanted to get our picture. I knew why they were so hungry for information. It was Sonny's first appearance in months and here she was, speaking out against rape while displaying a huge stomach. Not only was that big news, but it was also the first time Sonny and I had been seen together since April. Everyone wanted to be the first form of media to announce the reuniting of Sonny Munroe and Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Chad Dylan Cooper!" a man shouted, shoving his microphone into my face. "How does it feel to know that your long-time girlfriend is having a baby with another man?"

"Sonny!" another voice exclaimed at the same time. "Why did you choose today to speak out about your story when it obviously happened awhile ago?"

"I have a question for Chad and Sonny!" a third party spoke up. "Were you planning on meeting up today or was it unexpected for both of you?"

Keeping my arm around Sonny's shoulders so I wouldn't lose her in the throng, I tried to make a path through the reporters. If I was going to talk to her, really speak with her about everything, I needed to do it privately without so many ears listening in. Maybe, if we were lucky, we could make a break for the door…

"Chad, I think-,"

"Shh," I silenced Sonny. "Let's wait to talk until we get outside."

"Look, I agree that we need to talk, but can we do it later? Please?" Sonny was looking at something over her shoulder. "This meeting was supposed to be all about the dangers of rape, but the focus has shifted to you and me…Hope is going to be so upset."

"Hope?" I repeated slowly.

"She's going to think I planned this just so the reporters wouldn't take her seriously," Sonny went on, her second explanation not making any more sense than the first. She smiled up at me, her fingers brushing my wrist. "I'll be right back, Chad, ok? Just give me five minutes."

She took off before I could argue, heading toward the girl who had spoken at the podium before her. I was surprised that she would rather speak to this 'Hope' girl more than me, but hey, I was Chad Dylan Cooper. Sonny would come back to me. I knew she would eventually.

However, the five minutes she claimed she would be gone for? Yeah, she lied about that. Everyone in the room, those who had been sitting in the audience as well as the reporters, recognized me and Portlyn and Tawni and Grady and Nico and Zora. Lines formed in front of each of us - I had no idea why anyone actually wanted autographs from the Randoms - and we spent the next few hours posing with fans, having our pictures taken, and signing autographs until our hands hurt.

By the time people finally began clearing out, I was more than ready to have my talk with Sonny. However, when I tried to spot her to find out if she was free yet, I knew I wasn't done waiting. She was hugging each of her cast mates one by one, the huge smile never leaving her face. I would have to wait for her greetings to finish before she would give me any attention.

"I'm so happy to see you guys again!" I heard her cry. "You have no idea how much I've missed you!"

"Probably not as much as these blubbering idiots missed you," Zora told her, shaking her head at the rest of the Randoms. "They missed you so much, I had to build them a Sonny Robot to replace you!"

"A Sonny Robot?" Sonny asked, her smile fading the tiniest bit.

Oh, I had seen Zora's creation. The robot did not look like Sonny at all nor did it sound like her. It did have many technical problems though. On more than one occasion, I'd seen the other Randoms trying to figure out how to destroy the thing while Zora was gone. I would have taken a sledgehammer to it if I were them. Either that or a flamethrower.

"I think we should celebrate having the real Sonny back," Portlyn suggested. "There's a beach nearby, isn't there, Sonny? I thought I saw a sign for one not too far from here."

"Yeah, there's a beach, but-,"

"Then what are we standing around here for?" Nico cut off Sonny's answer. "The beach will be a lot more fun than hanging out here all day."

In one huge group, the Randoms, Portlyn, and Sonny headed out of the building, talking happily as they went. I followed behind them, my steps much slower than theirs. All I really wanted to do was speak with Sonny and make sure we were on good terms with each other again.

It looked like our talk was going to have to wait.

* * *

My pregnant body could not keep up with my friends. Nico and Grady spent most of their beach time chasing after girls (and getting rejected by them). Zora was doing something she was very secretive about. Tawni and Portlyn sat in chairs, taking a break from their hectic Hollywood lifestyles to kick back, relax, and enjoy the sunshine.

I tried spending a little bit of time with everyone. I splashed around in the water with Nico and Grady. I offered to help Zora with whatever she was trying to do ("I can't tell you my plan," she informed me when I tried to help her, "But if you really want to help, you can bring me as much mud as possible."). By the time I collapsed beside Tawni and Portlyn, I was ready to rest. Compared to staying inside with Isaac all day, the beach was a very tiring place.

The one thing I made sure to do all afternoon was avoid Chad. I knew he wanted to talk and, eventually, I would find us some alone time. The truth was…I was a little bit afraid to speak with him. What was he going to say? That I was stupid for putting myself out there like that when I asked the reporters to come? Why did I leave without telling him where I was going? For all I knew, he was still mad at me about everything and only tracked me down because he wasn't done yelling yet.

As the hours flew by, the sun set and the moon came out. I suggested heading home, but everyone disagreed and worked together to build a fire. They found an area away from the rest of the crowd and set to work, gathering logs and trying to find sticks they could use for roasting marshmallows. Then, they reached the conclusion that, if they wanted to make s'mores, they needed to make a trip to the nearest store to buy the correct supplies.

"Aren't you coming, Sonny?" Portlyn offered as she followed my cast mates away from the raging fire.

"I don't think so, Port," I told her, shaking my head. "I'm really tired. I think I'll just sit down and rest for a few minutes."

My excuse must have sounded just as fake to her as it felt to me when it slipped through my lips. She glanced in the direction of a huge lump sitting a few feet from the fire, a lump who had spent most of his day ignoring everyone. Sending me a knowing smile, Portlyn waved a final goodbye.

"I'll stall everyone at the store as long as I can," she told me. "Good luck with your talk."

She skipped away, caught up with the Randoms quickly, and mingled her laughter with theirs. I watched them until they were too far away to make out in the darkness, wishing I could go with them. I'd had too many serious conversations in the past months. Goofing around with my best friends, the people I hadn't seen in three months, would be so much more fun than what I was about to do.

If there was one thing I'd learned from my pregnancy, it was that sometimes, fun things had to be set aside. As much as I wanted to spend all the time I could with my friends, speaking with Chad was more important. We had issues we needed to work out-

-No matter how much the idea of talking through them made me want to vomit.

The air felt chillier as I left the fire behind me. I rubbed my arms, wishing I had a coat or jacket to slip over my shoulders. In the old days, I could count on Chad to be my blanket; I had a feeling that wasn't going to happen tonight.

Chad sat as far from the fire as possible, so close to the line of water that he had his bare feet resting in the shallow waves. He stared straight ahead like he could see something no one else could. I followed his gaze, wondering if he really was looking at something, but all I found was the moon's reflection. As gently as I could with my huge baby bump, which ended up not being very gentle at all, I took a seat next to the king of drama.

A breeze blew my hair out of my face as I drew my knees to me, wrapping my arms around them. Chilly water bit at my bare toes but it would take too much energy to move backwards onto dry land. I sat silently, having no idea what to say.

The full moon shining above our heads was the only thing allowing me to see Chad. He looked different than the boy who had left my apartment holding a grudge against me and the baby. His golden locks had gotten longer, long enough for the wind to ruffle playfully. Dark circles lingered beneath his eyes like he hadn't slept in days. Maybe…maybe I wasn't the only one who had been forced to grow up. Could it be possible that Chad had done some thinking too and had reached the conclusion that it was time to change?

"I still think about it, you know," I began softly, watching only my hands, being careful to keep my eyes off Chad. "What if I wouldn't have gone to that interview with Tina? What if I listened to my gut feeling that something bad was going to happen that night and stayed home? What if I tried running when I realized the guy who asked for my autograph was dangerous? Every day, I think about things I could've done differently. Maybe if I'd fought him just a little bit harder. Maybe I could've screamed just a tad bit louder. And then, I start wondering how it would have gone if I didn't live in Hollywood. Would the baby be a smaller deal? Would anyone even care if I was pregnant?" I paused long enough to take a deep, shuddering breath. "What if I never lived in Hollywood and the man never knew my name? Would I have gotten raped if I stayed in Wisconsin my whole life? Is it destiny for me to become a teenage mom or is it something that could've been avoided?"

I didn't expect Chad to answer me. Here I was, the girl he hadn't seen in months, and all I could do was ramble on and on while he continued staring at the water. It was definitely a one-sided conversation - I had no idea if Chad was listening to me at all - but now that I'd stared, I needed to go on.

"And then, I get mad at myself for thinking that way. It doesn't matter what happened in the past. It's not like I can go back in time and warn myself to stay in Wisconsin. Even if I chose that path, something just as bad, maybe even worse, could've happened to me." I did my best to turn my frown upside down. "So, instead of being negative, I'm looking on the bright side. I have a family who loves me enough to stick with me and take me in during this period of my life. I have-,"

"The best boyfriend on the face of the planet?"

The last thing I expected to hear from Chad was a joke. For the first time since my monologue began, I turned my attention to him. He was looking back at me, the corners of his mouth turned up the tiniest bit in the world's smallest smile.

"Do I have the best boyfriend, Chad?" I asked him. "I heard you've been spending some quality time with Shayanna lately. I thought maybe she was…I mean, I thought you and I might be…"

I couldn't bring myself to say the word 'finished'. Even if we were done and never planned on dating again, I wanted Chad to be the one to say it. I wanted to hear it from him directly, that too much had gone on between us and we could never get over the hurdle currently taking residence in my stomach. If we were ancient history, he had to be the one who announced it.

Because, in all truthfulness, I didn't want everything to be over with us. I wanted Chad back.

"Oh. You've still been keeping up with Tween Weekly," Chad said in a voice that let me know the magazine hadn't been wrong. "The thing with Shayanna-,"

"You don't have to talk about it," I cut him off. "Actually…it might be better for both of us if you don't."

"It's not what you think. Shayanna and I aren't really dating," he continued anyway. "We went out for a couple business dinners together and the press got the wrong idea. I never thought about dating anyone while you were gone, Sonny. How could I?" He reached over, pressing his fingers to my cheek. "You're my little sonshine, remember?"

"You really mean that?" I tried to hold the tears in, I really did, but between the moods swings that came with the pregnancy and the relief rushing through me, there was no force strong enough to hold back the waterworks. "You still want to be with me?"

"_You_ still want to be with _me_?" Chad shot back. "I took off when you needed me the most. All I could think about Chad Dylan Cooper. I didn't care that you were raped and pregnant and how much that had to hurt you. I just wanted to save my own butt, which I did by running away to DelMingo Studio. Believe it or not, but it was Blondie who reminded me how stupid I was. She said if I really loved you, I needed to put myself in your shoes, which I tried and it was really hard because I'm Chad and a boy and it's impossible for me to get pregnant. But she did help me realize how much of a jerk I'd been to you and that if I ever wanted you to forgive me, I needed to apologize right away which is what I'm trying to do now, but I'm not so sure I'm doing a very good job of it because I've never done this before except for when I'm playing Mackenzie but I want this to be perfect because I really do love you and-,"

He was forced to stop talking when I kissed him. The kiss was short and sweet - I just needed something to shut him up - but at the end of it, Chad was smiling like he'd won the lottery.

"Apparently you've been hanging out with me too much," I told him. "You're beginning to talk just as much as I do."

"Well, if I'm planning on spending the rest of my life with you, it's bound to happen that I'll pick up a few of your annoying traits!"

The rest of his life? What was Chad talking about? I agreed to marry him back in December, but that was before I was pregnant with someone else's baby. There was no way he still wanted to marry me-

Reaching into his pocket, Chad pulled out a small piece of jewelry. I gasped as soon as I recognized what it was: my wedding band.

"I think you accidentally left this behind," he said, slipping it onto my left hand.

As great as it felt to have the ring back, I knew it couldn't stay. As far as I knew, Mom, Dad, and Mr. and Mrs. Cooper were oblivious about the wedding. Telling them that we had gone behind their backs to hold a wedding ceremony on top of my pregnancy…that was too much. Besides, there would be a few problems now if Chad called me his wife.

"Be serious, Chad," I sighed, taking the ring off. "We can't be Mr. and Mrs. Cooper right now."

Chad's brow furrowed. "Why not?"

"Why not?" I repeated. "What do you mean 'why not'? I'm pregnant…with a baby that isn't yours!"

"So what?" Chad shrugged. "I'll just lie and tell everyone the baby is mine."

"You would do that? You would take reasonability for another man's child?"

The idea was both wonderful and so farfetched that I couldn't believe it. Chad Dylan Cooper, the actor who only cared about having everything done his way, would be a Father to a baby who belonged to some psychopath? He was willing to tell the world that he was my husband and our first child was on the way?

I could read the answer on Chad's face as he mulled over my question. When it came right down to it, I was right. He wasn't going to take reasonability. Which was fine with me, really. I was the one who got raped. I was the one who decided to keep the baby. He would be doing himself a favor if he walked away before it was too late.

"I wouldn't mind getting married and telling everyone we were having a baby. I want to have a family with you, Sonny," Chad finally spoke up. "I just don't know if I could do it. Pretending the baby is mine when every time I look at it, I'll know it came from someone else…"

"It doesn't matter anyway," I reminded him. "I told the reporters what really happened. They know the baby isn't yours."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to marry you," Chad said. "Obviously, the real father isn't going to stick around. Why should you raise the baby on your own when I want to have a family with you?"

"You want to have a family with me someday. Not today. And besides, you want to have your own kids, not one that resulted from a rape. Maybe I could…I don't know. Maybe I could give this baby up for adoption and wait until we're ready to have kids before I try raising one. I just would really hate to do that. To watch someone else take care of my baby…"

I fell silent, resting my hands on my stomach. A huge piece of me already loved the baby, even though I had no idea if it was a boy or girl. Every once in awhile, I could feel it moving around, kicking at me if I let my fingers stay in one spot for too long. It was an indescribable thing to feel another life inside me, to know that a living, breathing person was depending on me.

The last thing I wanted to do was give him or her up to another family. However, part of me thought that might be the right choice. If I could find another couple, a husband and wife much older and wiser than Chad and I, two people who could provide my baby with a nice home and a loving atmosphere and actually know something about parenting…

Would that be better than trying to raise the baby myself? I would have help from my family and friends, but I was young. Every final decision would be left up to me, not my parents or Chad's parents. I would have to decide if he or she could have extra dessert after dinner. I would have to decide if he or she could stay in bed just five more minutes. I would be raising him or her while still growing up myself.

"So, be honest with me, Sonny," Chad said, cutting into my thoughts. "How excited are you about this baby?"

"You know, I wasn't excited at first. I was too worried about how much trouble I was going to be in and shocked that I was really pregnant. Now that I've had a chance to take everything in…" I shrugged. "Yeah, I am looking forward to it now. I know it sounds weird, but I can't wait to meet my son or daughter."

"Son or daughter?" Chad repeated. "You haven't found out which you're having?"

"Nope! I want to be surprised!"

"Does it feel…weird?" When I gave Chad a blank expression, he cleared his throat nervously. "Does it feel weird to, you know…Have a baby swimming around inside you?"

Chad took me by surprise. No one had asked questions about the baby, not ones like he asked anyway. Mom and Aunt Suzy already knew what it was like to be pregnant. Taylor didn't want to know all the details. I guess things change when you're romantically involved with the pregnant girl. Chad wanted to know everything I could tell him, right down to whether or not it was scary to feel the baby kick me or how hard it was to walk around with a stomach that jutted out so far.

By the time my cast mates and Portlyn came back, Chad had his hand resting on my stomach for the first time. Everyone got excited ("Why is the baby kicking anyway?" Grady wanted to know. "Is it mad because Sonny won't let it see the world yet?") and, after dragging Chad and I back to the fire, everybody wanted to hear more about the baby and what I'd been up to since leaving Hollywood.

I couldn't stop smiling as I answered their questions, leaving my fingers twined with Chad's for the rest of the night. In moments like these, when I could sit around with my best friends and talk about the baby I would have shortly after turning eighteen, I felt very thankful. Hope had gone through the same thing I had: she was raped, her boyfriend left her. The only difference was that her friends and family turned her away, too. My friends could very easily have stayed in Hollywood, continuing their lives without me, going on with life as though I'd never acted with them to begin with. But they hadn't. They chose to stick with me instead - and I couldn't have been happier about their choice.

Sitting there around the fire, talking and laughing and looking into the faces of my friends, I realized something: my family was no longer limited to just my blood relations. Nico, Grady, Tawni, Zora, Portlyn, Chad…they all meant just as much, if not more, to me than Mom, Dad, and Grandma Munroe.

Two families. Twice the love than most people had. A plethora of arms to reach out and hug me when times got rough.

Eventually, my eyes began to droop. I wasn't used to spending so much time outside and, despite how much I wanted to stay awake and visit with my friends for hours, I knew it was time for me to rest. Dropping my head to Chad's shoulder, I snuggled beside him, stealing his heat.

My last thought before I lost consciousness was this: _I am never leaving my family again._


	15. Through A Stranger's Eyes

First off, I would like to thank you for your kind reviews. I LOVE them!

The idea for who's point of view is told through this chapter goes to my friend on Twitter, Channy _ Addict (Can anyone guess who's point of view it is? Huh? Huh? Can you?)

Be on the look-out this chapter, guys. It's the last chapter that goes back and explains what went on during Sonny's nine months. The next chapter will be back in real time, like the prologue

Oh, and for anyone with weak stomachs? Be weary of this chapter.

There. You can't say I didn't warn you!

A special shout-out to Vernie as well, who gave me some VERY helpful medical information!

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Chapter Fourteen

Through A Stranger's Eyes

_July 25 - August _

Sonny Munroe was everywhere I looked. Her face covered the front pages of magazines. She spoke in interview after interview. As popular as she had been before getting pregnant, the baby seemed to be bringing her even more publicity.

I kept up with Sonny as much as I could after her little anti-rape televised event brought her back to Hollywood. She couldn't walk out her front door without reporters throwing microphones into her face, demanding answers. Most of the time, that boyfriend of hers, Chad something, was around to help and he would draw her to his side, keeping both their faces low so they could avoid the attention.

Chad appeared in many of Sonny's interviews. He was always at her side, keeping a hand firmly planted in hers or an arm around her waist. I could tell that he was very protective of Sonny, like he thought as long as he was always with her, nothing bad would come her way. I rolled my eyes as I watched him shadow behind her. If I were Sonny, I would have punched his face for barely giving me room to breathe.

'_Who is he trying to kid anyway?' _I asked myself. _'If he really wanted to protect Sonny, he would have been there the night she was raped. He's just putting on a show for everyone. He wants people to believe he cares about her safety when he really doesn't.'_

During Sonny's first interview, the one she gave with the other girls who had been raped, she told her story. She explained that she was walking home after an interview when the man pulled up in his car and asked for her autograph. She claimed she knew there was something wrong with him, although I wondered if that was a lie. If she could smell danger in the air, why had she stayed instead of making a break for it?

"I was too afraid to run," Sonny replied when a talk-show host asked her the same question. "I didn't know if he had any weapons on him. If I turned my back, for all I knew he could pull a gun from his pocket."

Sonny also said she tried getting back into the studio where she had completed her interview. Apparently the man had cornered her while she was still in the parking lot. She thought surely there had to be somebody inside, somebody who could help her. However, after she pounded on the locked door, she knew she was out of luck. The nearest houses were not close enough for the people living inside to hear her screams and the man had broken her cell phone. There was nothing she could do when he dragged her to his car and locked all the doors.

"Couldn't you have gone to the police?" another host questioned.

"How was I supposed to prove anything happened?" Sonny shot back hopelessly. "The camera in the part of the parking lot I was in wasn't working that night. I think - and this is only a guess - but I think the man who raped me had it all planned. I think he knew exactly where he was going to do it so he made sure the camera wouldn't work."

'_She sure does give him a lot of credit,' _I said to myself. _'I wonder if she still remembers him?'_

"Can you tell us what he looked like?" a third host wanted to know.

"I can tell you exactly what he looked like," Sonny nodded, her face turning white. "I see his face in my nightmares all the time…He was taller than Chad, although not nearly as good looking. He seemed to be about my age, maybe a year or two older. He looked like he could be a football player. He had brown hair, brown eyes, and was wearing a red and white jacket."

"Do you remember what was on his jacket?" the host inquired. "Maybe a school symbol or something that could help police identify him?"

"Sorry," Sonny shook her head. "So much happened that night…I just can't remember the little details like that."

A sketch popped up on the screen drawn from Sonny's description. I scoffed; she had hired horrible artists! The man people were warned to keep their eyes open for looked like a stick figure to me.

Chad, who remained silent through most of the questions since he'd been somewhere else while the horrific tragedy happened to his girlfriend, was asked one or two questions per interview. The big question on everyone's minds had to do with him, Sonny, and the unborn baby: would the three of them become a family?

"I love Sonny," Chad said one night, his blue eyes never leaving her face as he spoke, "And I'm not going to let this baby stand in our way. I still want to marry her someday."

"Even if that means acting as a father for a son or daughter that isn't yours?" the interviewer asked.

"Even then," Chad agreed. "When the child is old enough, he or she will be told the truth about his or her real father. Until that time comes, Sonny will be a single mother - at least, she will be until she finally decides to let me marry her. Then, for all intent purposes, I'll be the dad."

I was surprised that Chad was willing to step up to the plate. I thought he was the kind of guy who would leave if something like this happened to his girlfriend. Maybe Sonny thought so too because, once he was finished with his speech, she had tears in her eyes as though she had never heard him say anything so sweet. I rolled my eyes in disgust. I was not a fan of true love.

Even though the world knew their precious good girl from Wisconsin was having a baby, no one seemed to mind. Sonny did admit she was fired from So Random! (apparently her boss felt he could no longer keep her on a show meant for tweens where little girls had been looking up to her), and although she looked slightly depressed by the news, Chad didn't.

"She'll be working with me on a new show called All the Days of Our Lives!" he proclaimed happily. "You know, after she has the baby. She doesn't want to start any new projects right now."

In one interview I found particularly interesting, the entire cast of So Random! and Mackenzie Falls were brought to the set. A surprised Chad and Sonny greeted their cast mates before everyone settled down in their chairs. The interviewer jumped in right away, asking what both casts thought about the baby.

"I think it's so romantic!" a girl named Chastity cooed. "Sonny's going to have a real live little baby!"

"I think it's the best thing that's ever happened to Sonny," Tawni answered for the Randoms. "She gets to continue acting and I have my show back to myself!"

Portlyn, who sounded like the voice of reason to me, explained that, "We all feel horrible about what happened to Sonny, both when it comes to her losing her job and the baby. We also want to wish her the best of luck as she pursues new goals in her life."

"That's so sweet! It must feel great to both of you to know your casts are so supportive," the reporter said, her words aimed at Sonny and Chad. "So, tell me, Sonny. What is the name of this baby going to be?"

Sonny's mouth fell open in shock, but before she could say a word, both casts began speaking, their voices blending together, making it impossible to understand any part of the conversation.

"SILENCE!"

The group fell silent at Chad's shout. He fixed the collar of his jacket, threw an arm around Sonny, and proudly stated, "Why don't you go ahead and tell everyone what the name is going to be, honey?"

"Well, I haven't really-," Sonny stuttered. "I haven't decided on a name yet."

"I thought it went without saying what the name would be," Chad said, giving her confused gaze. "Mackenzie is the perfect name!"

"Chad…I don't even know if I'm having a boy or girl."

"It doesn't matter; Mackenzie works for either!"

"I don't know," Grady disagreed. "I was thinking you guys could name it Grady, Jr."

Grady opened a new can of worms. Names were shouted out as everyone tried to make sure their suggestion was heard.

"Marshall, after our director!"

"What about Zac? Zac Effron is a great actor, right?"

"Dolphin Boy!"

"What about Makayla? It's not exactly Mackenzie…but its close."

"Dolphin Girl!"

"I've always liked Maddie!"

"You guys!" Sonny finally spoke up. "Let's not name the baby just yet, ok? I haven't even decided if I'm keeping it or not."

Now she had my attention. In all the interviews, I had never heard her say anything about not keeping the baby.

"Hold on," the reporter ordered before the name shouting could commence. "Sonny, you're considering giving your baby away?"

"Not giving it away, exactly. I just don't know if it would be better to put it up for adoption or not." She smiled into the camera nervously. "I've done a little bit of research and there are some really nice families out there looking to adopt. I just…need to decide if I want to let my baby go."

She was getting rid of half her problem! If she gave the baby up for adoption, her life wouldn't change. She wouldn't be a mother, she wouldn't have any new responsibilities. What lesson would she have learned over the course of her rape? That rape and teenage pregnancy were horrible but there were always exits if you looked hard enough?

'_That won't do,' _I told myself, shaking my head. _'That won't do at all.'_

Little Miss Perfect was having a baby, but her life was not lost in turmoil. She still had a boyfriend who was willing to stick with her. She told the cameras that her family was very understanding about the whole situation. Now, she even had another job to fall back on.

I did feel upset. Sonny had been raped. Her life was supposed to be turned upside down. She wasn't miserable at all! How could she be when life was handed to her on a silver platter?

Apparently she needed to be taught another lesson. Getting raped, having a baby at seventeen…none of that was horrible enough for her. I had to think of a worse punishment, something that would really prove to her that life wasn't supposed to be happy all the time. Of course she was happy - she was an actress and had all the money she would ever need in life - but what about those of us in the world who didn't have enough? What about the people who only ate one meal a day because they were so tight on cash? What about the folks who worked more than forty hours a week and barely got to see their families because they were always working? Was it really fair for those people that Sonny Munroe was out there somewhere, living a perfect life?

Sonny hadn't grown up in Hollywood. She had to remember a little bit about her life in Wisconsin. Or maybe she'd forgotten all about her old life now. Maybe Chad and her fame and fortune had made her forget what it was like to live a normal life.

I had to remind her. She couldn't go on believing life was always going to be super and great and flawless. She had to understand that there were people in the world who suffered every day.

Why should they suffer while she lived the life of a queen?

Sonny Munroe was going to learn what it felt like to suffer.

* * *

_August 6_

Bryson Cooper and Grant Mitchell had to be the most immature roommates ever. When I came back to our dorm after going to the store, they were playing indoor football. I asked myself why I moved into the dorm before my college courses began. The less time I spent with Bryson and Grant, the better.

"Hey, man!" Bryson greeted me. He had just enough time to say those two words before Grant tackled him.

"Delta Nu!" Grant shouted happily.

"Uh huh…I'm just going to put these groceries away now."

Leaving the two of them to their game, I headed to the kitchen. I knew both Bryson and Grant were following me. They never learned the art of walking without stomping their feet apparently.

"It's a good thing you're putting the groceries away," Bryson told me. "We need this place to look at least semi-clean."

"Why?" I asked, even though I really didn't care. My part of the dorm was clean. My roommates were the ones who refused to pick anything up.

"Because!" Grant shouted (did he really have to shout everything he said?). "My baby brother is stopping by for a visit!"

"Chad's coming, too," Bryson added.

I froze. Chad? Chad Dylan Cooper was coming to my dorm? If he was visiting, surely that meant-

"Sonny Munroe is going to be with Chad, isn't she?" I asked.

"I don't know," Bryson replied. "I guess so. I don't think they've really left each other's sides since this whole baby drama started."

He and Grant went on talking, but I excused myself. Thankfully, our dorm had two bedrooms, one of which Bryson and Grant shared while I had the other one. I headed there quickly, shutting the door behind me.

Sonny Munroe was coming. Would she recognize me? Surely she would…I would never be able to forget her face. What if she told everyone who I was? What if, the moment she walked through the front door, she saw me, screamed as loud as she could, and told everyone what I'd done to her?

My hands were sweating as I picked up a suitcase. Maybe it was time for me to leave. I could head home for a few days, telling my parents that my roommates were idiots and I didn't want to live with them until I had no other option. I could come back after Chad and Sonny returned to Hollywood.

Then, it hit me: why should I leave? What could Sonny do to me? Even if she did tell Chad and Bryson and Grant and Grant's brother everything, she had no proof. If she tried to have me arrested, it would be my word against hers. She had nothing to stand on if we went to court.

Well, not yet, anyway. After the baby was born, they could do a DNA test, but there were still several weeks before that would happen. I'd counted up the months a million times. The rape took place in January, which meant the baby was due in October. Today, it was only the middle of August.

Besides, if I had anything to say about it, no one would ever be able to find me guilty. I had a plan that would take care of the baby…for good.

With a smile on my lips, I began preparing for Sonny's arrival. A few hours later, when a knock sounded on the door, everything was ready.

* * *

_August 6_

Pressing my ear against my bedroom door, I could hear everything. I heard Grant making fun of his brother. I heard Bryson blow his brother off but offer Sonny a greeting. I heard Chad and Sonny speaking as they came into the dorm, explaining that they had only come to visit because Mrs. Cooper, who was acting as Sonny's doctor, thought Sonny and the baby needed to do something other than sit around an apartment all day.

I waited patiently, not wanting to leave my room until the perfect moment. Everything about Sonny's visit had to go perfectly or my plan would never work.

"I thought you guys had a third roommate?" Chad asked. "Or did he get smart and leave after he met the two of you?"

That was my cue.

"Grant! Bryson! You didn't tell me we had guests!" I exclaimed, throwing open my door and walking into the main room. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you!"

I saw her reaction. Sonny, who was looking around the dorm nonchalantly, froze the moment she heard my voice. Her brown eyes widened in fear as they studied me. My face. My body. Every little detail from that night must have come floating back to her. She started shaking so violently, I thought she might topple over.

"Sonny!" Chad cried, finally noticing that something was wrong with his girlfriend. "Are you alright? Is there something wrong with the baby?"

"No - No," Sonny told him, her eyes never leaving mine. "I'm fine, Chad. Everything's fine."

The blonde actor looked back and forth between me and Sonny. At first, I thought Sonny might tell him the truth - the truth about who I was and why she was suddenly so afraid - but she grabbed Chad's cheek, forcing him to keep his attention on her.

I was right; Sonny wasn't going to tell anyone the truth. Despite everything I'd done to her, she really was still the good girl. She didn't want to get me in trouble, even if I deserved it. She was too nice to do something like that.

Sonny told Chad she was alright, but he led her to the couch anyway. He sat down beside her, patting her shoulder awkwardly as she continued shaking uncontrollably. He looked at Bryson, silently asking what to do.

I was the one who stepped forward. Giving Chad an understanding smile, I sat on Sonny's other side and pretended to comfort her. She glared at me but kept her mouth shut a second time. I knew I was in the safe zone.

It was the first time I'd touched Sonny since January. Her skin felt soft beneath my fingers. Her hair still smelled like strawberries. She really was a beautiful girl. I could already picture how our baby would look. It would have my looks, of course, but Sonny's amazing talent. Our baby would make it big in Hollywood, maybe even becoming a bigger start than Chad Dylan Cooper believed he was.

Too bad our baby would never get the chance to live out its future.

* * *

_August 20_

Bryson, Chad, Grant, Grady, and I decided to hit the movies. For some reason, Sonny hadn't felt good since arriving at the dorm. She wanted to stay and rest for awhile. Chad offered to stay with her but she encouraged him to go.

"Have fun with the guys," she told him. "I'll still be here, puking up my intestines, when you get back."

"Are you sure?" Chad asked. "I don't like leaving you here alone, Sonny."

"I'm pregnant, Chad, not lying on my deathbed," Sonny replied. "I can take care of myself for two hours."

Chad nodded, but before leaving the dorm, he made sure Sonny was comfortable on the couch. He placed a pillow under her head so she wouldn't have to use the armrest. He threw a blanket over her huge stomach. He even went into the kitchen, grabbed a huge bowl, and handed it to her so she wouldn't have to run to the bathroom every time she felt like throwing up.

Finally, we started for the movie. I waited a good ten minutes before slapping my forehead.

"I left my wallet back at the dorm!" I informed everyone.

"Then you better run back and get it!" Grant told me. "I'm not spotting you a ticket, my brother!"

"But the show starts in five minutes!" Grady complained. "If we wait for him to get back, we'll miss it!"

"No worries," I said. "I'll just drop you guys off at the theater, drive home to get my wallet, and meet up with you soon, alright?"

Everyone mumbled their agreement. After they were out of my car, I turned around, heading back to the dorm. They were all idiots. My wallet was really stuffed in the glove box. Like I would be stupid enough to forget it!

At least they fell for my excuse. I would have plenty of time with Sonny at the dorm before I needed to be there to pick them up. Thankfully, movies were a long form of entertainment.

It was almost like Sonny knew I would be coming back. Her eyes were wide open when I came in and I could tell she hadn't slept at all. She drew the blanket tighter around her body like it would be able to protect her. Pretending not to notice, I leaned down, placing a kiss to her forehead.

"How do you feel?" I asked, fake concern heavy in my voice. "Any better?"

"Don't do this."

"Don't do what?" I asked innocently. "All I did was ask a question."

"Go to the movies," Sonny ordered firmly. "Go hang out with your friends and forget about me. Please…Just leave me alone."

"Oh, Sonny, Sonny, Sonny…I can't leave you alone. You've let this game go on too long for that."

Tearing the blanket from her, I grabbed Sonny's arm. She clumsily climbed to her feet. I could see the tears in her eyes as she studied the floor, refusing to look at me. I couldn't blame her. If I were her, I wouldn't look at me, either.

Holding her arms at her sides, just in case she tried to run, I brought my lips to hers. She tried pulling away at first but I tightened my hold and she stopped struggling. Without Chad there, I could kiss her as long as I wanted to, which I did. He didn't deserve to have a girl as great as Sonny. No one deserved to have her!

I knew I was being rough. My kiss was almost feverish, like there was nothing I wanted more in the world than to feel her lips against mine. When I finally broke away, I felt hungry for something else.

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you."

"Say it louder!"

"I love you!"

She was doing everything I asked of her. I couldn't understand why. Maybe she knew fighting against me was futile. Perhaps she was afraid of hurting the baby with too much physical activity. Whatever her reasons were, I wasn't going to complain. I brought my hand to her stomach.

"You should have killed it," I growled in her ear. "You should have killed it or stayed hidden, Sonny. Your worst mistake was when you let me find you."

Something wasn't right. Sonny was crying but she wasn't in any actual pain. There had to be something else I could do to her, something that would show her I meant business.

I rammed her into the nearest wall. We came at it so fast, there was a loud _thud_ when her head hit against it. She let out a cry of pain and probably would have fallen to the ground if I wasn't still holding her arms. With her back against a hard surface, she had nowhere to run. She was mine.

"Why didn't you do it?" I asked her. "Why didn't you tell anyone that I'm the one who raped you?" When Sonny remained silent, I pressed my forehead to hers. "WHY?"

"I was too afraid!" she cried out quickly. "I was afraid you'd get mad and do something like this!"

"You think this is bad, do you? Well, let me tell you a little secret, Sonny Munroe: You haven't seen anything yet!"

Without another word, my fist struck her stomach. She cried out in agony, probably the most painful scream I'd ever heard anyone give. Hitting Sonny wasn't the best way to take care of the baby. It was cushioned while still inside the stomach and I knew it had to be hit pretty hard if I wanted to do any damage. So, just for good measure, I hit her again.

By the time I left the dorm, Sonny was writhing on the floor, pleading with me to please, please stop. I didn't help her back to the couch. I let her stay exactly where she was. When I brought everyone back, they would find her huddled in the corner. I would act just as dumbfounded as them as to what had happened. I was still going to be a free man.

However, when the movie was done and I drove Chad, Bryson, Grady, and Grant back, a police car was waiting for us.

'_Crap,' _I thought. _'She was smart enough to report me this time.'_

I watched the scene unfold from the back of a police car. Sonny being brought down to the parking lot in a wheelchair. Chad and Grady at either of her sides, torn between wanting to make sure she was alright and demanding to know what had happened. Sonny telling them that she and the baby were both fine but she wanted to get home as soon as possible. Bryson and Grant exchanging glances, not believing that they'd been living with someone like me.

What I didn't know was what happened later that night. Chad dropped Sonny off at her apartment and headed home to let his parents know what was going on. Sonny went straight to bed. Hours later, when Mrs. Munroe checked on her daughter before going to bed herself, the sight she found scared her half to death: there was Sonny, her skin as white as a sheet, her body lathered in sweat and twitching violently. When Connie removed the blanket wrapped around Sonny, she gasped.

The bed was covered in blood.

Sonny was rushed to the hospital. Once her doctor was finally able to wake her, she explained that she had been punched in the stomach at least two times. Dr. Peterson ran an emergency ultra-sound while a tearful Sonny held hands with her mom. They waited with bated breath for Dr. Peterson to reveal the results.

"I'll spare you the details for the moment," he told them. "What it comes down to is this: Sonny, you are going into an early labor."

* * *

*Author's Note*

Well, wasn't that...full of drama?

To take your mind off the drama, I just have a quick question: Which baby name did you guys like the best?

Boy Names: Marshall, Zac, Dolphin Boy, Grady Jr.

Girl Names: Makayla, Dolphin Girl, Maddie

Unisex Names: Mackenzie

PLEASE leave me your favorite name in your review, along with the reason why it's your favorite

Feel free to make up your own, too!


	16. The End?

THANK YOU FOR TAKING PART IN THE BABY NAME POLL! Well, I guess it wasn't really a poll, more so a plead for you guys to give me some suggestions. Which you did. So...Thanks!

I would like to take the time now to thank every single person who has reviewed this story, favorited it, or even read along as a silent reader. I know it's taken me almost a year, but the last chapter is finally here! I'm sorry for the wait. Thank you for sticking with me until the very end. You guys are seriously the greatest people I have EVER met!

This chapter moves fast. Keep a look at the times - they will let you know what's going on at what points during the evening.

Also, I switched back to third person point of view so this chapter would match the prologue. We are no longer in flashback mode like all the chapters have been. This is real time, with Sonny really in labor. Please keep that in mind as you read.

If you get lost with all my jumping around, I apologize now. I know...I did jump around quite a bit. Sorry about that.

And, if this chapter is REALLY horrible, blame my boyfriend. He has been distracting me from writing lately.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

Chapter Fifteen

The End?

_8:45 PM_

"_What it comes down to is this: Sonny, you're going into an early labor."_

Those were the words repeating through Sonny's head as she watched nurses rush around her. She knew exactly what they were doing: they were preparing for the baby, making sure everything was in order before things went any further. Sonny wanted to ask what every machine did, but she kept her mouth shut. Her contractions were coming close together and the pain they brought her combined with what she felt from having her head banged against a wall and her stomach punched at least two times made it difficult to make conversation.

All she wanted was to have her mother in the room with her. Her mom knew what it was like to have a baby. She could hold Sonny's hand and promise her everything was going to be okay and Sonny would be able to believe her. Anyone else might lie. They might tell her things would go alright, but they might only say it to make her feel better. Sonny knew her mom. There was no way she would feed her own daughter a lie, especially when it came to her chances of survival.

Unfortunately, Sonny's mom fled the room shortly after the ultra-sound was finished. She claimed she was just getting out of the way so the nurses could do their job, but she hadn't gotten out before Sonny noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks. Her mom was somewhere in the hospital, crying her eyes out, and Sonny had no idea if it was because she felt excited about the baby, nervous that it was coming several weeks too soon, or scared for what may happen to Sonny.

"I want you to make this girl as comfortable as possible," a familiar voice ordered. "Bring her extra pillows. Give her water if she wants it. The second she asks for pain medicine, give her some, assuming everything is alright medically. This is going to be a long night, ladies. Let's make the delivery as easy as we can for Mommy."

Mrs. Cooper, dressed in all white and with her blonde hair tied back in a ponytail, checked the work done by her fellow nurses. When she came near Sonny's bed, the actress reached out to her.

"Oh, Sonny…I can't even imagine how much pain you're in right now. I wish there was something I could do to help, but you're not far enough along yet for medicine," Mrs. Cooper explained. She reached up, very gently touching the back of Sonny's head. "You have quite a bump there. Have you felt any dizziness? Do you feel like you're going to pass out?"

Of course her head hurt and made her feel like doing nothing more than taking a long nap, but Sonny refused to give in to the pain. If she fell asleep now, what would happen to the baby? Would they be able to deliver it while Sonny was out cold or would they have to wait for her eyes to open? Was it possible they would force her to miss the birth of her own child?

"It's August, Mrs. Cooper," Sonny stated softly. "My due date isn't until October."

"You're only thirty-two weeks into your pregnancy," Mrs. Cooper agreed. "Now, before you start freaking out on me, hear me out. Your baby is going to be what we call a premature baby. Since it will be coming out over a month early, there's a higher chance that it may not be able to eat or breathe on its own. Don't look at me like that - a lot of children are born that way and they turn out just fine. Trust me, Sonny, if your baby is born with some kind of defect, I will personally attend to it and do everything I can to keep it alive."

Premature. Birth defect. Keeping it alive. They were all phrases Sonny did not want associated with her baby. It just wasn't fair. The baby hadn't even gotten to see the light of day yet and already people were throwing around dreadful adjectives. This baby was just as sweet and innocent as any other infant. Why should it have to begin suffering so soon?

'_Because its father is an idiot,'_ Sonny reminded herself. _'An idiot who could care less if this baby was dead or alive right now.'_

"I just have one last question," Sonny said, waiting for Mrs. Cooper to nod before continuing. "Is this birth going to be…harder…than I thought it was going to be?"

Sonny had gone to classes that taught her what to expect when she entered the delivery room. As bad as she originally feared labor would be, she had a bad feeling it was going to be even worse.

"I'm not going to lie to you, Sonny," Mrs. Cooper replied. "You don't have your full strength right now. For somebody who hit their head as hard as you have, I would normally tell them to go home and take it easy for the rest of the night. Obviously, you can't do that. On top of that, I'm sure you have pain other places as well. That's typical when an accident of some sort - in your case, a beating - brings a woman into early labor. You probably are going to be in quite a bit of pain as the night goes on."

Even though she expected the answer, Sonny felt like crying when she actually heard the words being said. She wasn't a huge fan of pain and now, thanks to some stupid guy who wanted to hurt her, she was going to have a delivery ten times worse than a normal one, which was horrible in the first place.

"Is there anything I can get you?" Mrs. Cooper offered.

"Can you bring my mom back?" Sonny requested. "Please? I really hate sitting in here all alone."

"I believe your mom is spreading the good news that the baby's on the way," Mrs. Cooper said, "But I'll be happy to let her know you're asking for her."

She left the room just as Sonny yelped in pain. Another contraction was beginning.

* * *

_9:01 PM_

Connie Munroe sat in the lobby, clutching a book in her fingers. She bet Sonny didn't remember - she was probably crazy for remembering herself considering everything that was going on - but today, August twentieth, was Sonny's birthday. Her eighteenth birthday to be exact. The book Connie held was the present she and Chad planned on giving Sonny in celebration of the big day.

Since Sonny was preoccupied, Connie found herself flipping through the book, stopping to brush tears from her eyes with every turn of a page. The book outlined Sonny's entire life. There were pictures from Connie's late days of pregnancy when she shook her head at the cameraman, probably Jerry, begging him not to snap pictures of her huge stomach. There were photos of Sonny as an infant, then a toddler, followed by a preteen, and then, bringing up the rear, as a young adult. Connie had meant for the book to be a memoir to Sonny of everything she'd accomplished so far and everything she still could do later in life.

Today, Connie's baby was turning eighteen. She was finally considered an adult under the law, but she wouldn't be able to enjoy that freedom. Sonny wasn't only turning into an adult; she was going to be a mother, too.

Her baby was having a baby.

Connie knew she should be in the room with her daughter, but something held her back. She had been as nice as she could about Sonny's pregnancy. She hadn't yelled or blown her top when she found out. Instead, she helped Sonny come up with a plan to get her safely out of Hollywood. When she returned three months later, Connie let her move back into the apartment. They only had two bedrooms which meant, if Sonny decided to keep the baby, it would stay in her room. Connie and Sonny spent hours together every day, getting the room ready. They pushed Sonny's bed up against the wall to make room for a crib. They added a changing table. Stuffed animals were brought in. Tiny outfits, ones that would work for boys or girls, hung in half of Sonny's closet. Sonny even painted a rainbow on the wall.

Baby proofing the rest of the apartment wasn't a hard job. At first, Sonny thought everything breakable needed to be put away, but Connie assured her that babies could be taught what not to touch. As long as the baby had somebody watching it all the time, which it should when it first came home anyway, everything would be fine. There were no stairs that needed to be blocked off. The doorknob was up too high for an infant to reach. In the kitchen, Sonny hid every knife from view so she could be sure the baby wouldn't touch them.

Connie helped Sonny prepare for the baby as much as she could. She thought she was ready to become a grandma.

Apparently she was wrong. Now that Sonny was going into labor, Connie found herself scared beyond belief. She was scared for Sonny who was too young to be going through such a huge ordeal. She was scared for the baby who was coming out much too early. She was scared for herself and how she would no longer just be 'mom'; she would also be 'grandma'.

"Mrs. Munroe, Mrs. Munroe!"

Slamming her book shut, Connie glanced up just in time to watch a horde of teenagers run toward her. Nico, Grady, Tawni, Zora, Portlyn, Chastity, Marta, Ferguson, and Skylar all sprinted through the hospital, drawing attention from many nurses. Connie couldn't help but notice that the nurses looked more upset than happy to see the television stars, but probably only because they were breaking every rule by choosing to run instead of walk.

"Where is she?" Portlyn demanded. "Is Sonny alright?"

"She and the baby are both fine," Connie replied, studying each and every face carefully. "Where's Chad? Didn't you bring him with you?"

"Chip Drama Pants isn't with us," Nico replied, shaking his head.

"He sent a text to Portlyn," Marta stated. "He told us to go ahead and come to the hospital. He'll join us when he can."

Connie felt her heartbeat quicken. Chad wasn't here. He told everyone else to go on without him, which could only mean one of two things: 1. He changed his mind at the last minute and decided he didn't want to help Sonny with the baby after all or 2. He was about to do something really stupid.

She would bet almost anything that his absence wasn't because of reason number one.

"Mrs. Munroe," Portlyn asked a second time, "Where is Sonny?"

"Oh, right," Connie said, shaking away her thoughts. "Um, she's in room 116B, but I really doubt they'll want all of you rushing in there at once-,"

The group was long gone before Connie could finish her sentence.

Knowing her daughter would have more than enough visitors for awhile, Connie ripped her cell phone from her pocket. If there was one person Sonny would want as the night wore on, it would be Chad Dylan Cooper. She had to find a way to track him down-

-Even if it took her all night to do so.

* * *

_9:11 PM_

"Where's Chad?" Sonny demanded as Nico, Grady, Tawni, Zora, Portlyn, and the rest of the Mackenzie Falls cast came into her hospital room. Already sweat was pouring down her face, matting her hair together and making her look like a drowned rat. She was really growing to hate contractions.

"Now, Sonny, don't get mad at us," Portlyn ordered, coming beside her and taking her hand. "I'm sure Chad will be here soon. Right now, he won't answer his cell phone-,"

"I'm in a hospital, about to give birth, and Chad doesn't even know?"

"Oh, he knows you're at the hospital!" Chastity chirped proudly. "He just had something more important to do before coming!"

The Mackenzie Falls star was very lucky Sonny was in too much pain to get up. Otherwise, she would be the one needing nurses to tend to her injuries.

"What Chastity is trying to say," Ferguson said, standing up for his fellow cast mate, "Is that, as much as Chad wants to be here, and I'm sure he does want to be here, he has an errand to run first."

Sonny threw her head back against her pillow, fighting the urge to scream. How could Chad pick tonight to abandon her? He had been so supportive about the baby up to this point. Yes, she knew she wasn't dressed up all nice and fancy and she probably looked pretty scary at the moment, but she was going to have a baby, for crying out loud! Couldn't Chad stand seeing her look disgusting for one night?

"Don't worry about that, Sonny. You don't need Chip Drama Pants," Nico informed Sonny. "Grady and I will help deliver your baby!"

He and Grady both smiled at her brightly - and yet, Sonny found her eyes turning to the Mackenzie Falls cast.

"Find Chad. Please?" she begged them.

The last thing in the world Sonny wanted was Nico and Grady trying to coach her through the birthing process. Chad probably wouldn't be much better at it than the two of them, but at least he had gone to a few classes. Just the thought of trusting Nico and Grady with the job, as much as she loved both of them…

Chad and her mom, the two people Sonny needed most, chose now to leave her. Couldn't they at least have waited until after the baby was born instead of taking off too early?

* * *

_9:30 PM_

Chad knew what he was about to do was risky. Truthfully, he wasn't sure he'd made the right decision. He almost turned his car around and came home when he received the text from Mrs. Munroe letting him know Sonny was at the hospital. Then, he thought about the reason Sonny was in early labor and knew there was something he had to do before he saw her again.

The first place he stopped was Bryson's apartment.

"Haven't you caused enough trouble?" Bryson asked when he opened the door to his dorm. "You and your girlfriend just spent two weeks here, my roommate is in jail for rape and battery-,"

"-And Sonny is having the baby. Boy, it's been an exciting evening, hasn't it?" Chad cut his brother off. "Listen, I need you to take me to the jail."

His mouth falling open in shock, Bryson repeated, "The jail?"

"Yes, the jail," Chad said a third time. "I don't know how to get there and I don't have time to drive around aimlessly. I just want to go, do what I need to do, and get to Sonny before it's too late."

In a typical Cooper 'I-only-care-about-one-person-and-that-person-is-me' fashion, Bryson folded his arms over his chest. He didn't ask why his brother wanted to make a stop at the local jail because, quite frankly, he didn't care. Only one question was important to him:

"What do I get out of this?"

"Really? Is that really all you can think about right now?" Chad asked. "Sonny Munroe, the girl I love, the girl who will someday be your sister-in-law, is at the hospital this very moment, getting ready to bring your future niece or nephew into the world. All I want is a little help so I can get back to her as soon as possible, but if you're too busy sitting around in your pair of Tawni's Extreme Skinny Jeans to help me, then I guess-,"

"Ok, ok," Bryson gave in, joining Chad in the hallway. "I'll take you to the jail. Man…I didn't know it was that big of a deal."

"We're talking about Sonny. She's always been a big deal to me."

The car was silent as the Cooper brothers headed into town. Chad could remember the last time he and Bryson had been able to hold a one-on-one conversation. It was on a plane, heading back to Hollywood from Wisconsin after Chad kissed Lucy and broke up with Sonny. The entire plane ride, he was desperately calling Sonny, begging her to answer him. Bryson spent his time making fun of Chad and telling him how pathetic he was, that he would find another girl someday and forget about Sonny.

One of the many reasons Chad and Bryson did not get along well with each other was because of their different personalities. Chad was the middle child in his family; Bryson was the oldest. Until Chad got his job on Mackenzie Falls, it was impossible for him to receive any attention from his parents. All they cared about was how Bryson did this amazing deed or that wonderful feat. However, after Chad became a famous actor, the roles reversed. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper went on and on about Chad instead of Bryson. Feeling the rejection his brother had felt for years, Bryson wanted to impress his parents again. So, he pushed himself to do better than Chad at anything and everything other than acting.

The competition between Chad and Bryson was not the only factor in their strained relationship. The brothers had two completely different outlooks on life. All Bryson thought about were girls, parties, and meeting girls at parties. Chad wanted to keep his status as the greatest actor of his generation.

If Chad tried, he might find that he actually liked Bryson. He liked Kimberley, didn't he? For tonight though, while Sonny was in labor and he wanted nothing more than to be at her side, it wasn't the time to try mending things with his brother. He needed to get in and out of the jail as quickly as possible and then get back to Sonny.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?" Bryson finally spoke as he pulled into the jail's parking lot. "You're going to speak with the guy who was living in my dorm."

"Yep," Chad replied, already reaching to open his door.

Before he could climb out of the car, Chad felt a hand on his shoulder. Bryson was staring at him. "Be careful in there. That guy is dangerous."

Chad wanted to scoff. He wanted to tell Bryson that he already knew that - he'd seen what the guy had done to Sonny. Biting back his retort, Chad simply nodded his head. Bryson wasn't trying to make him feel like an idiot. He was, in his own way, looking out for his younger brother.

A few minutes later, Chad found himself face-to-face with Allan Rhodes, also known as Sonny's rapist. There was nothing but a thin sheet of glass separating them, but Chad was thankful it was there nonetheless. As soon as she saw Allan's face, he wanted to hurt him. He wanted to make Allan pay for all the pain he had put Sonny through.

"Well, well, well," Allan said into the phone he and Chad were instructed to use if they wanted to hear each other. "If it isn't Chad Dylan Cooper! Finally standing up for your girl, are you?"

"Don't you dare say her name!"

"What's the matter, Chaddy? Is somebody a little bit jealous I got to sleep with their girlfriend before they did?"

"You think I'm jealous of you?" Chad couldn't stop himself from chuckling. "You're the one who's stuck behind bars for the next however many years, and you honestly think _I'm_ jealous of _you_?"

"You should be jealous of me, Chad. Oh, trust me, you should be very jealous of me."

"And why is that, Allan?"

"Because." At this point, Allan lowered his voice to a whisper. "Someday, that baby you think you're going to raise? The one I'm the father of that you think you're going to take away from me? Someday, it'll be my child again."

Chad could feel his bones begin to chill. This man was crazy! He was going to be in jail for a long time, and when he was finally set free, he would really do something stupid like kidnapping which would get his butt thrown right back in?

As though Allan knew exactly what Chad was thinking, he smiled. Chad hated that smile. It wasn't pure and beautiful like Sonny's.

"I have friends, Chad. Friends who aren't locked up and would be happy to do the dirty work for me. You better keep a close eye on that baby."

Chad could feel the anger building up inside him as his eyes locked with Allan's malicious ones. Usually it was easy for Chad to read someone's thoughts - the eyes were the window to the soul - and somehow, he was able to hear Allan's as though his mind was the one thinking them. He was remembering the night he had had Sonny all for his own. He was taking in Chad's entire composure, reaching the conclusion if a fight broke out, he would easily overtake him.

More than anything else, he was laughing about all the pain Chad had suffered through on his behalf.

Someone had to teach him a lesson. If it weren't for the stupid glass, Chad would have taken care of that problem.

"I don't know how you did it," Chad said, shaking his head. "I have no idea how you were able to do what you did to Sonny that night in January, or even what you did to her a few hours ago! Was it your goal to kill the baby?"

The smirk on Allan's face was all the answer Chad needed. He climbed to his feet, keeping the phone firmly planted to his ear.

"I only came here tonight so I could tell you that your plan never worked," he said, staring into Allan's eyes. "You wanted to break Sonny that night seven months ago, didn't you? You may have hurt her, Allan, but she was never broken. And guess what? Thanks to you, she's a stronger person than she ever was before. You did the exact opposite of what you wanted to do, did you know that? Face it: Sonny Munroe is a lot stronger than you thought she was!"

Slamming the phone down, Chad turned his back on Allan. He never wanted to see him again as long as he lived. As far as he was concerned, Allan was no longer a part of his life. He met him; he told him off; and now, he was going to help the girl of his dreams deal with what was probably the most painful night of her life.

Bryson refused to take Chad back to his car. When Chad started shouting at him, asking if he understood at all the importance of getting back to Sonny, Bryson ordered him to shut up.

"I want to see the baby too, Chad," he said. "Besides…if I get a speeding ticket, it won't be all over the news. I'm not famous like you, remember?"

For the first time all night, Chad found himself smiling.

* * *

_10:00 PM_

"Connie? Is that you?"

Jerry barely recognized his wife's face behind the mask of tears. Her eyes were red like she'd been crying for hours. The moment she heard his voice, she got up from the chair in the waiting room, bounded to him, and threw herself into his arms.

"Why do you look like that?" Grandma Munroe demanded, turning her attention from Connie to Jerry. "Why does she look like that? Is something wrong with Sonny? Why isn't she in the room with her? My granddaughter is having her first child and no one is in there to coach her through it?"

"Sonny's fine," Connie explained quickly. "Sonny and the baby are both perfectly okay. The only reason I'm not in with her right now is because her friends have packed into the room and the nurses said no one else can squeeze in."

"Really?" Jerry asked, his surprise showing on his face. "Sonny is really ok? And the baby, too? Why is she going into labor so early then?"

Taking a deep breath, Connie told Jerry and Grandma Munroe the story. When she called and told them she was taking Sonny to the hospital, that was all she had time to say before her husband hung up the phone, letting her know he would be in Hollywood as soon as he possibly could be. While she spoke, Jerry listened silently, gently brushing her hair out of her face.

"What's the real reason you're crying?" he asked once his wife reached the end of her tale. "Are you happy about being a grandmother or are you afraid something's going to go wrong?" When Connie didn't answer right away, he asked, "There's no chance Sonny could…you know…die tonight, is there?"

"Die? This is my granddaughter you're talking about!" Grandma Munroe stated. "I'm sure she's more than capable of handling this birth, right, Connie?"

Connie nodded, sending Jerry a reassuring smile.

"I'm sure she'll make it through," she said firmly. "Um, I was actually thinking about sending a few of her friends out of the room, so if you two would like to see her-,"

She was forced to shut up when Mr. Cooper rushed into the room, holding Kimberly in his arms. Both Bryson and Chad were at his side.

"Sonny?" Chad asked.

"Room 116B," Connie replied.

Nodding his thanks, Chad took off running. When he found the room Connie told him about (after running past it several times due to his rush to get there and refusing to slow down and read the numbers on the doors), Chad paused outside, collecting himself. He could hear Sonny's voice - it sounded like she was having a hard time breathing. He heard Portlyn and Tawni telling her everything was going to be alright. From what he understood, Nico and Grady were trying to tell her how to breathe correctly.

'_Great,' _Chad thought, shaking his head. _'I leave for five minutes and everyone takes over my job. I should be the one telling her how to breathe and that everything's going to be ok!'_

Slowly, not wanting to distract Sonny from whatever method she was using to lessen the pain, Chad pushed the door open.

It was like someone had pressed the pause button during a movie. Everyone fell silent as their gazes landed on Chad. Sonny was the only one who continued making sounds, and that was probably only because her eyes were squeezed shut. When they finally opened, she looked around, trying to figure out what everyone was staring at.

"Chad!" she exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Sonshine." Coming closer to the bed, Chad stopped before reaching it. He figured it was safer to keep some distance between his body and Sonny's, just in case she was mad at him for showing up so late. "How are you doing?"

"How am I doing? How am I doing? Well, you know, other than the fact that I'm about to push something the size of a watermelon out of my body, I'm doing just fine! It's not like I'm in so much pain that I literally wish I was dead right now. Nope, I'm not in any pain at all! Childbirth is so much fun! I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing right now. You should really come over here and give me your hand so you can share this magical experience with me!"

Chad was wondering if he should do as she suggested or stay in the safe zone when the door flew open again. A girl stuck her head in, asking, "Is now a good time to visit?"

"Now is the perfect time to visit!" Chad said, motioning for the girl to come in. "Come on in. Don't be shy!"

Opening the door wider, the girl took Chad up on his offer. It didn't take long for everyone to see why she had only stuck her head in at first; she was cradling a baby in her arms, a baby so tiny it looked like a doll.

"Oh my gosh!" Sonny cried out. "Hope! You already had your baby?"

"My due date was a little over a month before yours, remember?" Hope laughed. "Your mom called your Uncle and Aunt to let them know you were going into labor. We all decided to come out and see you."

"Are you still living with Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy?" Sonny asked.

"I am, and they won't let me stay at the hospital for much longer. They say it's unhealthy for a baby this young to be around so many sick people. I can't thank you enough for introducing me to your family, Sonny. They've been so nice to me…I don't know where I would be right now if they hadn't taken me in." Hope stepped closer to Sonny. "Would you like to meet Bentley?"

"You named him Bentley?" Sonny cooed. "He's adorable!"

"Isn't he?" Hope asked, smiling at her son as though she'd never seen anything quite like him before. "And just think. In a few hours, you'll have your own little one just like him!"

Mrs. Cooper chose that moment to enter the room.

"Alright, if your name isn't Chad or Sonny, you're out," she said, holding the door open. "It's time for the real fun to begin."

"Uh oh," Sonny muttered as her friends began filing out one by one. "Why do I have a feeling that we have two totally different definitions of 'fun'?"

"Nah, I'm pretty sure we're both on the same team," Mrs. Cooper protested. "You want to get that baby out, don't you? Well, that's my goal right now, too. We're working together, Sonny."

"Wait a minute!" Chad called out. "Are you - are you going to have Sonny start pushing now?"

"Chad, she's been in labor all night. I'm sure she's more than ready to have that baby," Mrs. Cooper said. "Why don't you just stand up by her head and hold her hand while I take care of the other end?"

However, her words fell on deaf ears. Chad had fallen to the floor; he was out cold.

"He's not good with medical stuff, is he?" Sonny asked.

"Not at all," Mrs. Cooper confirmed. "Maybe I should get your mom in here instead?"

Sonny smiled. "That sounds perfect."

* * *

_11:05 PM_

An hour of contractions, pushing, and more pain than Sonny thought she would ever need to feel. Sixty minutes of listening to Dr. Peterson as he encouraged, "Come on, Sonny, I know you can do it!" Too many seconds to squeeze Connie's hand on one side, Chad's on the other.

Finally, at long last, Dr. Peterson brought an end to it. Pulling off his gloves, he said, "Let's give Sonny a break. She's really getting worn out."

He wasn't lying. Sonny was so weak, as soon as she had permission to stop pushing, she collapsed back on her pillows. She couldn't catch her breath. Chad, who seemed able to keep his consciousness as long as he was by her head and not the end the baby was coming out of, wiped her forehead with a washcloth. His hand was turning purple from Sonny squeezing it so hard, but he didn't care. All he cared about was making sure Sonny was ok.

Dr. Peterson watched Sonny closely. Chad and Connie were both whispering things to her, but from what he could tell, she wasn't listening. Her eyes fluttered shut and the doctor knew Sonny was weak. It wasn't like he blamed her; from what he understood, she had been through a lot in the past few hours. Getting punched in the stomach. Hitting her head against the wall. Going into labor for her first child. It was a lot for anyone to handle, especially somebody so young…

The only problem was, there wasn't time for Sonny to rest. The baby was ready to come out and, quite frankly, since it was coming so early there was a large chance it would need help breathing. Dr. Peterson hoped he wasn't already too late, that the baby was still breathing alright for now. He wanted to get it out as soon as possible though. If Sonny was too weak to do it herself, they would have to try it another way.

"Mr. and Mrs. Munroe," Dr. Peterson beckoned, nodding to both of Sonny's parents. "Could you join me in the hall for a moment please?"

Grandma Munroe, the entire casts of So Random! and Mackenzie Falls, Sonny's Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy, a boy named Taylor, and somebody named Hope carrying around a baby called Bentley, all sat in the waiting room. Dr. Peterson was surprised. Most mothers had a small group waiting to meet their new baby, but Sonny must have been very special. She seemed to have gathered the entire population of Hollywood!

"What's wrong?" Connie demanded as soon as Dr. Peterson led her and Jerry past the full waiting room. "Is something wrong with Sonny? Please tell me nothing's wrong. Is there anything wrong?"

Dr. Peterson drew a deep breath. As hard as it would be to say this to Sonny's parents, he knew telling Sonny herself would be much harder. Still, if it was the only way to get the baby out before either it or Sonny were hurt, then it had to be done. What other choice did he have?

"I think, considering Sonny's health," he said slowly, "…She might be better off having a C-section."

That was all it took to bring Connie to tears.

* * *

_11:10 PM_

"You know what he's telling my parents, don't you?"

Chad, the only one in the delivery room other than Sonny herself, shook his head. He wished, for once in her life, Sonny would listen to him and stop talking. She was wasting energy she could be using for the labor. She was breathing heavily like she couldn't slow her heartbeat. Her face was red and lathered in sweat. She looked as white as a sheet.

Chad would never underestimate his mother again. She had gone through everything Sonny was going through, not once, not twice, but three times. He had no idea why anyone would choose to have a baby if they knew how much it really hurt.

"There's a problem," Sonny said, bringing Chad's thoughts back to her original question. "Dr. Peterson took my parents out because he wants to tell them about some problem going on with either me or the baby."

"Don't be stupid, Sonny, I'm sure you're both-,"

"Fine?" Sonny cut Chad off. "Come on, Chad. You know as well as I do that I'm not 'fine'. If I was, I wouldn't still be in labor. I'd be holding a baby in my arms by now."

As much as he didn't want to admit it, Chad knew there was a chance Sonny was right. Although his mom told him of a few pregnancies that lasted hours, sometimes days, they were few and far between. Usually the baby came out pretty fast. There had to be a reason Sonny was taking so long…but he wasn't willing to believe it was because she was having some kind of serious problem.

"Listen," Sonny said, "If I don't live long enough to see my baby-,"

"If you don't…what?" Chad repeated. "Why - What - Who are you to talk like that? You're going to see your baby, Sonny. Why wouldn't you? People don't die when they have babies!"

"If," Sonny said again, firmer this time, "Something happens and I never get to see the baby, I want you to do a favor for me."

Chad hated where the conversation was going. He wanted Sonny to quit talking so morbidly. He wanted to tell her she was going to be fine and everything would go back to normal after the baby was out. Well, maybe not normal, but when had either of their lives been normal since she had moved to Hollywood anyway?

The last thing he wanted to discuss was Sonny's death wish.

"I already have the names picked out, whether it's a boy or girl," Sonny explained. "I know you're upset, that you wanted the name to be Mackenzie, but I really don't think that's a good idea. I was thinking…if it's a boy, I could name it Marshall. If it's a girl though, I like Makayla. I know it sounds close to Mackenzie and is probably really cliché, but…" She shrugged. "I just really like the sound of it, I guess. So, what do you say? If I, for whatever reason, cannot name this baby, will you take care of it for me?"

"Of course I will, Sonny," Chad promised.

Chad had no intention of making sure the baby got whatever name Sonny wanted it to have. If she died, if this baby actually killed her, he could care less what happened to it. How could he look into the baby's face, see Sonny's eyes (or some other of her facial expressions) staring back at him and not think about Sonny? It would hurt too much to have such a huge reminder.

No, if Sonny didn't make it through the birth, then Chad would leave the hospital without the baby in his arms. Sonny's parents could take care of it or…well, someone would do it. He was the only person heartless enough to leave a baby without anyone to care for it.

The door flew open. Chad and Sonny both glanced up and watched as Dr. Peterson walked in. He tried shutting the door behind him, but he wasn't fast enough; they both heard Mrs. Munroe sobbing in the hallway.

"Hello, Sonny," Dr. Peterson said cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Please don't pretend, Dr. Peterson," Sonny pleaded. "We both know something's up. Can you just tell me whatever it is instead of sugarcoating it? Please?"

"Alright, alright," Dr. Peterson sighed. "The truth is, you're weak, Sonny. You're very weak and the baby is ready to come out. I'm not sure if you have enough strength left to get the baby out on your own."

"Isn't there anything you can do to help her?" Chad questioned. "Can't you give her some kind of medicine that will keep the baby waiting until Sonny's back to her full health?"

Dr. Peterson chuckled. Chad glared at him. What kind of a doctor laughed during such a serious situation?

"I'm afraid there's no medicine that can do that, Chad. When the baby decides it's time, it's time."

"So what are you going to do to me then?" Sonny asked.

"Well…How do you feel about a C-section?"

Sonny's whole body went numb.

* * *

_11:25 PM_

It was the best solution, really. Sonny was weak, in pain, and tired of pushing. A C-section would be much easier than sitting in the delivery room for who knew how many more hours. The doctors and nurses would cut the baby out. Sonny's job was done and over with.

However, when they took her from the delivery room and wheeled her down the hall to the room they would perform the surgery in, Sonny felt her heart racing. What if something went wrong? What if, even after they cut into her, they found out the baby was already dead? What if the baby was fine but Sonny lost too much blood? What if she was so weak, the medicine they gave her was enough to finish her off?

So many questions flooding through her head and so little time to ponder them. Dr. Peterson agreed that, considering Sonny's condition, it would be best if she slept through the surgery.

"Are you sure you want to sleep, Sonny?" he asked. "I can't promise you'll wake up in time for the birth."

"I'm sure," Sonny confirmed, nodding furiously. "The baby will still be here when I wake up…won't it?"

"I'm going to do everything within my power to make sure that happens."

Sonny didn't have time to respond. Someone stuck a needle in her arm. The room started to fade around her. First, faces began to blur, followed by the lights dimming. Finally, Sonny's big brown eyes closed.

It was finally time.

* * *

_11:56 PM_

Sitting on the hard tile floor due to lack of chairs, Bryson Cooper had his back against the wall and his younger sister in his lap. Kimberely was tired, but she was doing her best to hide it. However, her attitude suggested she was more than tired; she was also crabby. It didn't help things at all that Bentley was screaming at the top of his lungs.

"Is Sonny's baby going to be that annoying?" she asked, throwing her head back so she could see Bryson.

"Of course!" Bryson told her. "Haven't you ever been around babies before, Kim?"

"No…But I thought Sonny's baby would be my new best friend! I thought we could play House together, and sneak into mom's make-up, and-,"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down!" Bryson gave his sister a questioning look. "You didn't think you'd be able to do all of that with the baby right away, did you?"

"Of course we're going to play right away!" Kimberly stated. "Why wouldn't we?"

"I'll give you one good reason why you wouldn't." Bryson nodded toward Bentley. "The baby is only going to be that big - or smaller."

Kimberly's mouth fell open in surprise. "Really?"

"Really," Bryson confirmed. "For the next few years, all that baby is going to do is eat, sleep, and make messes in its pants."

"Don't listen to him!" Hope protested, who heard every word the eldest Cooper said since she was sitting in the chair closest to him and Kimberly. "Babies aren't as bad as he's making them out to be."

"They're not?" Kimberly asked, clearly becoming confused between the two different stories her brother and Hope told her. "So…I will be able to play with Sonny's baby?"

"Yes, you will!" Hope answered before Bryson could do more than open his mouth. "Babies love attention! Um, I'm not sure you'll be able to play the kind of games you want to play for quite awhile, but there are other fun games you can play right away!"

"Like what?"

"Like…" At this point, Bryson smiled, thinking he had Hope backed into a corner. "Well, you can play Peek-A-Boo!"

Kimberly turned her attention back to Bryson. "Babies sound boring."

"I don't think babies sound boring," Nico said suavely, who was sitting on Hope's other side. "I actually think they're-,"

"That's nice," Hope cut him off before climbing to her feet. "Come on, Bentley. Please stop crying. Can't you take a nap for mommy?"

"See? What did I tell you, Kim?" Bryson said loud enough for Hope to hear as she began pacing the room, bouncing Bentley in her arms. "All babies like to do is cry."

Nico brushed off Hope's rejection until he heard someone laughing. When he turned to the person sitting next to him, he rolled his eyes. Of course Tawni would find the fact that Hope was ignoring him hilarious.

"What's the matter, Nico?" the blonde actress cooed. "Did another girl turn you down?"

"Why do you care?" Nico shot back. "You have Taylor to flirt with. You don't need to pay attention to my love life."

Tawni glanced toward Taylor, who was sitting between his parents and fast asleep. Yes, she had been flirting with him since he arrived at the hospital, but truth be told, she was losing interest in him. He was fun to talk with last Thanksgiving and sure, he was a good dancing partner, but deep down, she had nothing in common with him. Taylor was a nice guy, but he wasn't anywhere close to Tawni's type.

"I'm not sure Taylor and I are going to work out," she finally stated. "I don't really like the whole long-distance relationship thing."

"Then find some guy here in Hollywood," Nico told her. "I'm sure there are plenty of guys willing to go out with you."

"I bet you could find a girl who would say yes to you, too." Tawni's voice was soft as she inched the tiniest bit closer to her cast mate. "She might even be right under your nose."

"Who are you talking about?" Nico asked, feeling totally bemused. "Hope is too busy trying to get Bryson's attention, Sonny and Chad are going to be tied together forever because of the baby, you think you're so much better than me-,"

The most amazing thing in the world happened before Nico could finish his sentence: Tawni leaned over and planted a kiss on his lips. It only last three seconds and when it was over, he and Tawni both stared at each other in shock.

Thankfully, the awkward moment was cut short when Chad ran into the room.

"It's a girl!" he chanted over and over. "Sonny had a girl!"

There wasn't time to say anything more than, "Congrats!" before Mrs. Cooper called Chad's name. Her voice sounded frantic which made Chad take off as fast as his feet could carry him.

The baby was alive and hooked to a machine so its tiny body could breathe. Sonny, on the other hand, wouldn't wake up from her c-section.

* * *

Wow, talk about cliffhangers! Stay tuned for a final scene!

PS. Review and let me know 1. Your favorite part 2. Your least favorite part 3. The part that confused you that I need to explain better in the final scene


	17. Epilogue

Epilogue

_December 31, 2017_

It was a typical morning in the Cooper household: Chad was nowhere to be found and Sonny was running around trying to prepare breakfast. She had tried telling Chad there was no reason to buy a mansion, but had he listened to her? Of course not (when did he ever listen to anyone who wasn't named Chad Dylan Cooper?). Thanks to his insistence that their small family needed to live in a huge house, Sonny found herself literally running through her kitchen. She grabbed the eggs from the fridge on one side of the room, threw them over the stove located on the other side, and stopped at the sink resting along the far wall to drop off the dirty dishes. Her life would be much less chaotic if she had a tiny kitchen, one where everything was within her reach without having a ten mile span between.

"Ok," she mumbled to herself, pausing at the island in the middle of the room to catch her breath. "I have the waffles done, the pancakes should be finished any minute, the eggs are almost scrambled, there's silverware and orange juice on the table…Why do I still feel like I'm forgetting something?"

A loud wail reminded Sonny of what she was forgetting: Paul wanted his breakfast, too.

"You don't need to cry!" Sonny cooed, gently lifting the four-month old child from his high chair. "Your breakfast is ready. I was going to feed you in a minute if you'd just been a little more patient."

Taking a seat at the table, Sonny cradled Paul in her arms, rocking him gently. When he continued crying, she tried another tactic to shut him up: she stuffed a bottle into his mouth.

"There. Don't you feel better now? I know my ears do!" Sonny said as her son fell silent, relishing in the goodness of his milk. "I bet Daddy and sissy are hungry, too, Pauly. Chad! Makayla! Breakfast is ready!"

By the time Paul finished his bottle, he and Sonny were still the only occupants in the kitchen. Chad was usually late for meals - Sonny would find him in their bedroom most of the time, making sure he looked up to his Chad-Standard before coming to get his food - but Makayla was another story. She loved to eat and always appeared two or three minutes after hearing Sonny's call.

How come Chad AND Makayla were skipping out on breakfast?

Lying Paul down in his crib (Chad made sure each and every room in the mansion held a crib, just in case he was holding Paul when his arms got tired. "After all," he told Sonny, "I'm an actor. If I hurt my arms carting the baby around too much, how do you expect me to act?"), Sonny decided it was time to hunt down the rest of her family.

Living in a mansion made it almost impossible to find people when looking for them. There were so many rooms to check, too many doors to press an ear against and listen for any sign of life on the inside. Sonny checked the room she and her husband shared only to find it deserted. Makayla's had the same result. Where were they?

Finally, Sonny heard it. The sound that would lead her to her two missing people: laughter.

"Shh!" Makayla was hissing when Sonny pushed open the door to the entertainment room, where every video game system and DVD known to man awaited use. "This is my favorite part!"

"Mine too, mine too!" Chad agreed.

On the screen before them, an episode of Mackenzie Falls was playing. Sonny rolled her eyes. She should have known Chad and Makayla would be together watching one of their two favorite shows.

"Guys," she called out since both her husband and daughter were paying more attention to the TV than her. "Guys! Breakfast is ready!"

"Aww!" Chad and Makayla whined in one voice. "Just five more minutes!"

Sonny gave them their five minutes - not because she thought it was a good idea to leave the food out for so long but because, even after six years, the relationship between Chad Dylan Cooper and Makayla Munroe Cooper still dazzled her.

A lot had changed for both Sonny and Chad since the day Makayla was born. Makayla, forced into an early birth due to Sonny's blows to the stomach, almost died on the same day she took her first breath. It was mainly thanks to Chad's mom that Makayla lived. Mrs. Cooper refused to leave her side, made sure she had the proper machines hooked up so she could breathe and eat, and kept a 24 hour watch on the infant. Sonny was convinced that had Mrs. Cooper ever left the room or trusted another nurse to watch over her, Makayla would have died. She was so tiny and weak…But what baby wasn't when it made its first appearance two months ahead of schedule?

With Mrs. Cooper taking care of Makayla, the other nurses were free to help Dr. Peterson, who was doing everything he could to wake Sonny from her C-section. Apparently she woke up long enough to learn that her baby was a girl, but while Makayla was cleaned up, Sonny's head slammed against the pillows and her body fell limp. She was weak, both from labor and the injuries that had led to Makayla's early delivery. Everyone who gathered to welcome Makayla into the world - the casts of So Random! and Mackenzie Falls, Mr. Cooper, Bryson and Kimberly, Mr. and Mrs. Munroe, Grandma Munroe, Uncle Tim and Aunt Suzy, Taylor, Hope and Bentley - were told that Sonny may not make it through the night.

Chad would never forget the first forty-eight hours after Makayla's birth. He refused to visit Makayla at all during that time (how could he look into the face of the tiny baby who injured the love of his life?). He simply sat in the hospital's waiting room, his head buried in his palms. Horrible thoughts ran through his mind. What would he do if Sonny died? Could he continue on without her? Would he even want to? What was the point in being alive if Sonny wasn't? She was his sunshine, the only thing that truly brought him happiness. Acting was great but living in a world where Sonny was dead? It didn't help that Mrs. Munroe kept bawling her eyes out. Conversations took place too, conversations that Chad never wanted to hear spoken. What would happen to Makayla if something did happen to Sonny? How could a funeral be held in private without reporters finding out?

It felt like a miracle to everyone when Dr. Peterson announced Sonny had awakened. She was very weak but perfectly fine in the brain. Mr. and Mrs. Munroe were the first two allowed in to see her. When Chad took his turn, Sonny noticed the change in him. He was more solemn than he had been before. He sat down in the chair beside her bed, gently took her left hand, and slipped a ring on her finger.

"Marry me," he said. "I know, I know. You already did marry me. Well, I want to get married again, only this time, I want to do it the right way. I don't want you agreeing just because you're pregnant and I want both our families to be there. I want it to take place in a huge church. I want to watch you cry while your dad walks you down the aisle. I want everyone to see how much I love you when the preacher says, 'You may now kiss the bride' and I kiss you hard and long enough to make everyone else in the room uncomfortable. I want this wedding to be Mackenzie Falls worthy. And, once everything is done and over with, I want to take you home, both you and the baby, and I want the three of us to be a family."

Although she was caught by surprise, Sonny did not object Chad's offer. The wedding wasn't held right away, mainly because of Sonny. She wanted to watch Chad and Makayla together for awhile and make sure Chad was serious about raising her as his own daughter. She couldn't believe he wanted to raise her - there was no way to go back in time and make Makayla his - but whatever Chad experienced while Sonny was out cold at the hospital really did stick with him. He spent every spare minute with Sonny. He played with Makayla and even took his fair share of 'diaper duty'. When Sonny asked why he suddenly was acting so different, Chad's only response was a careless shrug.

"I thought I'd lost you the night Makayla was born," he explained. "I never want to feel that way again."

Just because they got married six short months later did not mean Sonny and Chad stopped being Sonny and Chad. They both knew the basics about child care but once they were on their own inside the mansion without Mrs. Munroe around to help, the fights began. Chad would feed Makayla too much and Sonny would get slopped on when she tried burping her. Sonny would put Makayla down for a nap and Chad would play with her before she was ready to be woken up. Chad would watch Mackenzie Falls with Makayla sitting on the couch beside him and Sonny would scoop her daughter up, saying Mackenzie Falls was too dramatic for someone so young. In the middle of the night, when Makayla cried, somehow it was always Sonny's turn to see what was wrong.

On top of having a newborn, a new marriage, and stress from lack of sleep, Sonny and Chad had to say goodbye to Condor Studio if they planned on working for DelMingo. Sonny hated the idea of leaving So Random!, but she knew the parents of kids who watched the comedy would not like a teen mom there acting as a role model. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she told the Randoms goodbye. Chad told her she was worse than Makayla, although Sonny swore she saw him crying, too.

Since DelMingo was an hour away from Condor, Chad bought a mansion closer to the new studio than his old house. The Randoms and Portlyn visited frequently - they refused to stay away from Makayla for long periods of times - and Sonny's face beamed whenever they showed up. She was one tired girl. She worked long hours on All the Days of Our Lives, came home at night and took care of Makayla, and somehow still found time to make meals and clean and put Chad's laundry away. No matter how tired she was, Chad rarely found her without a smile on her face. He tried helping her, but he seemed to make things worse instead of better. He knew it was going to be a good day when one of the Randoms stopped by; they always helped Sonny out, whether it was by cooking (not likely) or playing with Makayla (more likely). That would leave Sonny with less work, which meant she had a few extra hours to nap.

Makayla was definitely not the easiest baby to take care of. Her early entrance to the world left Sonny worried. She couldn't go a whole night without rushing into Makayla's room, even if she wasn't crying, to check and make sure she was still breathing. If Makayla didn't eat as much as Sonny wanted her to, there was another reason to fret. If she sneezed or coughed, Sonny was ready to rush Makayla to the doctor. Makayla was smaller than any baby Chad had ever seen and yes, Dr. Peterson did warn him and Sonny to be careful with her, but in his eyes, Sonny was a little _too_ cautious.

Whether Sonny was too overbearing or not, Makayla led a very healthy lifestyle. She ate her fruits and vegetables (or at least, Sonny and Chad thought she ate them. Really she threw them on the floor and let Cupcake, who Mr. Condor gave to Chad as a going away present, gobble them up). She studied hard and knew how to count and sing her ABC's. She ran around the backyard with Chad playing tag and catch and hide-and-seek and whatever other games she could think up. She was short for her age, which she loved to complain about, but Sonny was thankful that was Makayla's only problem. Dr. Peterson warned she may develop slower than other children or be disabled like a lot of premature babies were.

One thing Sonny and Chad agreed on when it came to Makayla's names for them was that Chad would never be 'dad'. Sonny wanted Makayla to know that there were bad people in the world, but at the same time, she didn't want to tell her daughter too much information at one time. From day one, she referred to herself as 'mommy' and Chad as 'Chad'. It wasn't until one day when the three of them were going for a walk in the park and Makayla overheard another kid calling for their dad that the question came up:

"Mommy? Why do I call my daddy Chad instead of daddy? Isn't everybody supposed to have a mommy and a daddy, not a mommy and a Chaddy?"

"You do have a mommy and a daddy," Sonny told her. "It's just…You've never met your daddy, Makayla. He was not a nice man and he's suffering now because of that. I don't know if you'll ever get to meet him."

Makayla's big brown eyes turned to Chad. "If Chad isn't my daddy, then who…"

"I'm Chad Dylan Cooper!" Chad said, cutting off her question. "You like me better than some weirdo guy locked up in prison who doesn't even love you enough to meet you, right?"

Her eyes lighting up, Makayla nodded her agreement. Chad picked her up, raised her above his head, and took off running down the path with a squealing girl held firmly in his grasp while he did his best to sound like an airplane. Sonny watched them, shaking her head in disbelief. She never believed Chad could pull off being a father, much less with a kid who wasn't even his.

Now, Makayla was already six years old. To Sonny, it felt like yesterday when she left the hospital with a tiny daughter in her arms. She had Paul to fawn over (who got his name thanks to Pauly, the bear who Sonny and Chad both watched as young children), but she missed the days when Makayla was the one keeping her up in the middle of the night. She was finally beginning to realize that that little girl was gone. She'd been replaced by the girl currently focusing on Mackenzie Falls and sitting next to Chad Dylan Cooper.

"Turn the show off," Sonny stated firmly.

"In a minute!" Chad protested. "There's only five minutes left-,"

"Fine. If you won't turn it off, I will!"

Both Chad and Makayla gasped when the screen grew dark. Sonny shook her head. She never dreamed of having two dramatic people in her house instead of just Chad.

"Come on, sweetie," she said, holding a hand out for Makayla to grab. "Come downstairs and eat your breakfast, okay? You have a big day ahead of you."

"I do?" Makayla asked.

"Yes, you do," Sonny confirmed. "Don't you remember? Today is New Year's Eve! We're going to the party tonight!"

Makayla grimaced. "Is Bentley going to be at the party?"

"I imagine so," Sonny replied. "His mom is dating Chad's brother, after all. Why? Do you not want Bentley to go?"

"Not really. He tries to kiss me at midnight every year."

Chad tensed the moment he heard the word 'kiss'.

"Well, if _Bentley_ tries anything funny like that again, you come find me, Makayla," he said firmly. "I'll teach that boy a thing or two about kissing MY girl-,"

Sonny whisked Makayla from the room, glaring at Chad over her shoulder. She wanted her daughter to learn how to deal with boys without violence. Besides, she thought it was cute that Bentley had a crush on Makayla. Even if Bryson and Hope ended up married (which Sonny hoped they would; she would love having Hope for a sister-in-law), Makayla and Bentley would not be related. They would actually be a cute couple.

"What?" Chad demanded, following behind his girls. "I was just trying to help!"

After all these years, Chad's way of helping was still just as bad as it had been when he was a teenager: never helpful, but more harmful than good.

* * *

Reporters stood along the driveway as the Cooper's limo arrived. Makayla knew why they were there: her mom and Chad were both television stars. Not that she was allowed to watch their show ("All the Days of Our Lives is much too grown up for you, honey," her mother always said), but she did own every episode of So Random! and Mackenzie Falls on DVD. She loved watching both shows - the comedy usually had her rolling on the floor in laughter while the drama brought tears to her eyes - but she knew she would never be happy simply sitting around, watching others act. She wanted to be an actress, too. She was hoping to find a man named Mr. Condor at the New Year's Eve party and show him how much talent she had. Maybe he would cast her in one of his shows!

"Stay close to me, Makayla," Sonny ordered as the limo rolled to a stop. "I don't want you getting lost in the crowd."

Holding Paul in one arm and grasping Makayla's hand tightly, Sonny moved quickly through the reporters. Chad stayed behind his family, keeping one hand on his wife's shoulder, the other on Makayla's, almost as though he was trying to shelter them from the reporters. Makayla didn't see what the big deal was about ignoring the questions thrown at them. Why shouldn't they stop to answer? They were famous! Everybody wanted to know every little detail of their lives. Why not share?

Nico greeted the Cooper's as they came through the front door. He held the New Year's Eve party every year at his house - which was not nearly as big as the mansion Chad bought his family - and invited everyone in Hollywood. Makayla smiled politely as he took her coat. He said something to her ("How are you doing tonight, Kayla?"), but she was too busy scanning the other guests to answer him.

She recognized many of the faces mingling in the main room. The entire cast of So Random! stood together, happily waving for Sonny to join them. A few members from Mackenzie Falls were there, too. Chad's parents called out to Makayla and she joined them long enough to hand over hugs. How come she was finding everyone except the people she wanted to find?

"Makayla! You're finally here!"

Kimberly Cooper threw Makayla into a hug before the six year old had a chance to realize what was going on. Kimberly, in the early stages of her teen years, was one of Makayla's best friends. As long as Makayla could remember, Kimberly had been her play-date. They had tea parties together, sleepovers, and loved holding So Random! marathons. Despite their age difference, Kimberly was one of the nicest teenagers Makayla had ever met. Most of them wouldn't make the time for a six year old at all. Kimberly made all the time in the world.

"Come with me," Kimberly said, taking Makayla's hand. "You have to see the size of the cake! I swear, it's as tall as you are!"

"Hold it!" Both girls stopped at Chad's shout. "You two think you're going to run off in a place this crowded?"

"Oh, let her go, Chad!" Sonny sighed. "Makayla will be fine. Besides, she has Kimberly looking out for her."

Still looking reluctant, Chad agreed to Sonny's plan. Kimberly and Makayla took off - but not to look at the cake. They had a mission: Find Mr. Condor. If he gave Chad and Sonny jobs on his shows, why not let their family members work for him, too?

"Hello there, ladies. How are you on this lovely evening?"

Makayla knew that voice anywhere, even if it did come from behind her: Bentley had tracked her down.

"Go away," Kimberly pleaded. She disliked Bentley almost as much as Makayla did.

"Aw, don't act like that!" Bentley said. "You don't want to treat the guy you'll be kissing at midnight so badly, do you?"

"Me? Kiss you? At midnight?" Kimberly scoffed. "Um, excuse me, but you're six. Six! I have a boyfriend anyway."

Bentley turned his attention to Makayla. "What about you? I bet you don't have anyone to kiss."

"Who cares if I do or not?" Makayla shot back. "I wouldn't kiss you if you were the last boy on the planet!"

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that in a few hours, won't we?"

But as midnight rolled around and everyone gathered to bring in the new year together, Makayla was nowhere to be found. Kimberly found her parents, Bentley allowed his mom to hug him, and Sonny was the only parent left wondering where her child had wandered off to.

"Kimberly," she called, tapping the girl lightly. "Bentley…Have either of you seen Makayla anywhere?"

"Not for a few hours," Kimberly replied. "The last time I saw her, she said she would be right back. Some guy wanted to speak with her."

Chad, who overheard his younger sister, felt his brow wrinkling. "Some guy wanted to speak with her? Who was he?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Kimberly asked, shrugging. "I'd never seen him before. He said he had something he wanted to show Makayla."

His blood was running cold when Chad pulled Sonny close to him. He told her everything - how on the night she had Makayla, he visited the man who raped Sonny in jail. How that man threatened that even if he couldn't get Makayla back since he would be behind bars, he had friends who would be more than willing to do the dirty work for him. Sonny's face instantly turned white. Makayla hadn't been seen for several hours. She was with a man Kimberly didn't recognize. The man wanted to show her something, which very easily could have been his excuse to draw her in.

As the clock struck twelve, Sonny and Chad were running through the house, shouting Makayla's name at the top of their lungs.

Makayla Munroe Cooper was gone.

* * *

It all started with a simple conversation in the commissary at Condor. From there, it went to a love-hate relationship. C.O.W. followed, and Sonny did everything she could to break Chad's heart, just to find herself falling more and more in love with him every day. Sure, things fell apart when Chad kissed Lucy and Sonny thought she may have TB, but everything turned out alright. Their love was even strong enough to survive when Sonny became pregnant with a baby that wasn't Chad's.

Some people claim to be in love. They say they love the person they're with and they always will love them no matter what. But what happens when a hardship comes into their lives? When one of the two people in the partnership does something wrong and the other person becomes upset? Sometimes, the couple will stay together and try to fix their problems. Most of the time, they will just give up. Divorce rates raise every year.

Sonny and Chad found a way to overcome their problems. Yes, they fought, and the path they followed twisted more than once. They always found their way back to each other in the end. Their love was too strong to ever die - no matter what obstacle life decided to throw in their way.

C.O.W. Crush of the Week.

B.U.L.L. Bottled Under Love's Labyrinth.

C.A.L.F. Caught After Love's Fall.

These stories belong to a couple who, despite their hardships, ended up with a happily ever after.

Lifeisveryshortsoami would like to think all of you for being fans of Sonny With a Chance and the COW trilogy. You have done more for her than you can imagine - leaving reviews, letting her know if her stories were good or bad, helping her enhance her writing skills…You, if you're reading this note right now, mean something to this author. To take the time to read all her stories and be there during the tough times…

Thank you for everything, Fan Fiction.

Oh, and one final note:

NEVER give up on your dreams. You never know when one might come true.


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